Last Night of the Kings
by kehkanSKlover
Summary: AU:Setoxserenity. Rated for lemons and violence. Full summary inside. When War threatens her home, the only place to turn was to the Demons of the south. She only hoped her sacrifice would gain the strength of the Demons to protect the people she loves.
1. The Light Fades

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Hi all, I'm back with a new story. This is AU (alternate universe) So the city of domino doesn't exist. The story takes part in the early medieval ages. It is also a fantasy fic, so expect demons, vampires and werewolves. It's my inner D&D nerd springing to life. I'm keeping the family ties the same, so Serenity is still Joey's sister, Mokuba is still Kaiba's brother etc etc etc... the only exceptions being Merik, Malik, Ryou and Bakura, the Yami's and Hikari's are brothers. The pairings for sure will be Seto and Serenity (duh), Yugi and Tea, and Joey and Mai. Other ties might show up later, but for now that's the only plan.**

**Full summary: **AU: She had always looked upon the castle to the north as a jailor. The kings cared little for the peasants of Eadenburg, and preferred to tax and use them rather than protect them. It seemed war was around the corner and the only place to turn was to the demons of the South. The poor peasants didn't have any choice but to make a sacrifice for the Demons to gain their strength. It was time for her to die to save the town she loved.**  
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**Rated for violence, lemons, swearing and violently vulgar adult themes (maybe, still debating) If you do not feel you are 'old' enough or 'mature' enough or you simply don't like this stuff, please do not read. **

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Last Night of The Kings

Chapter 1: The Light Fades

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An empty light shone through the window, dousing everything in the room with a brightness that was cold and blinding. She didn't care. She hadn't slept the night through. Her eyes sat on the same location as she had placed them when she had crawled into bed. An old chair, crude in design, pulled ajar from the similarly crude desk it belonged to.

Normally she would have been up hours earlier, but she couldn't find the strength that day. She could feel her hunger growing, but didn't care to do anything about it. Her mind flashed to the night prior and she felt her stomach flip. Before the tears could fall again, there was a noise in the small house. Serenity finally sat up and walked over to the door of her bedroom. Her hand was about to wrap around the lever when she watched it lower itself and the door began to open.

"Serenity?" A kind voice called out to her. She watched silently while Yugi stepped into the room, followed by Tea. "Oh, good you're up. Uh... We got you your morning water." He said, they both held up a bucket before Yugi took them both and placed them on her kitchen table. Yugi and Tea were apprentices at the Mages Academy in the village just west of Eadenburg. They were considered nobles because of their powers but they were from the same town as her.

They were close friends of her and her brother. Some of the few that understood them completely. Serenity had no difficulty getting along with the people of Eadenburg, being a small town it was very close knit. Only around forty four inhabitants took up residence in the small town. Joey had had a more difficult time getting along with the residents. He was the troublemaker who had terrorized the town over and over from when he was young.

As an adult of about 19 years old, he had grown a bit more responsible. He still pulled some pranks around the gambling shop Yugi's grandfather ran, but while he was working in the fields, he was all business. The residents had loved Joey, they just preferred he keep his pranks to himself and were grateful that he worked so much, leaving little time for goofing around. The meager wages he had made working the field was more than enough to pay for basic needs and he had given Serenity all the freedom in the world to pursue her happiness of painting.

She would wake with him every morning, make him a good breakfast, and when he left to work, she would leave to the forest area in the south to gather clay and berries to mix for paints. They didn't have near enough money for a canvas and expensive parchment was much too valuable for wasting on practicing art. She would paint onto large boulders she found, leaving only when she was proud of the work of art, or when she could no longer see from lack of light.

She had always worried Joey when she traveled out to the south. He was never able to go with her and monitor how far she wandered. The towns folk had rumors and stories of demons living in a large abandoned castle to the south. The stories were older than many great grandparents, but lately, there had been no signs of supernatural life in that direction. The myths and legends were beginning to fade.

"Serenity... Um... We have some bad news." Yugi started. Tea moved around him and guided Serenity to her bed and sat with her. "Joey... His body's been stolen." Serenity didn't see what was wrong with this. She just looked at Yugi with confusion. Eadenburg was such a small town it was illegal to bury their dead because the larger more noble towns needed the cemetery space. The peasants of Eadenburg were forced to cremate their dead, which to their belief system, meant they destroyed the vessel of the soul before it reached heaven, locking the soul on earth so that it would never move on.

Since the cremation decree took precedent, the peasants pretended that the bodies of their dead were stolen and buried them in an unofficial burial yard they had made in the woods to the east. When the censors came around every ten years, it was believable that they were continuing to cremate their dead, as the bodies and burial ground were never found.

"I know..." Serenity said. Yugi and Tea were in charge of Joey's burial, so they would be the ones to report when it had happened so she could visit her brother. She didn't understand why they were acting so cryptic either. Everyone knew about the practice of the dead. Everyone spoke plainly about it too.

"No, Serenity... He was really stolen." Yugi said sadly. "I think it was an animal. Serenity... There was so much blood." Her mind raced back to the night before again.

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The entire town held torch and called, but he was nowhere to be found. They had split into four groups to easier search the forest surrounding the town. Serenity had been on the north, Yugi on the south, Tea on the east, and Yugi's grandfather on the west. Everyone spread out, close enough to call each other, but far enough to widen their search effectively.

Movement caught Serenity's eye, but her torchlight didn't reach quite far enough for her to see what was moving.

"Ahh...ugh." She gasped,. It was Joey's voice, muffled and quiet, but she could hear him trying to call out. She moved closer and froze. A large creature was on him. It looked to be the size of a bear, but had a longer snout and pointed ears. The thing snapped it's head over to her, unveiling the man beneath it. She almost dropped the burning club in her hand. He was covered in blood. One of his hands was missing a few fingers and his throat seemed to be bitten or clawed apart. He shouldn't be alive. Like the creature, his eyes also flashed to her.

"No... Ren... run..." He tried to call, but Serenity couldn't find her feet. Her whole body just wouldn't budge. The creature took a step toward her and she saw something that shocked her more than the beast. Joey had found some sort of energy in his broken state and launched himself at the creature. It howled and shook violently, causing Joey to be thrown down in front of it. It launched forward, aiming for his already destroyed throat and he managed to punch it hard in the tender snout. Serenity finally found her voice and screamed. The creature, now a few steps back and holding it's nose, raised its head and let out a terrifying roar. The villagers came closer, shouting for her, and the creature retreated into the darkness.

Serenity bent to lift her brother, who smiled up at her.

"Ren... I'm so... sorry... I love ya... sis" She could see his body deflate as he exhaled his last breath.

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Tears stung her eyes as she shook the nightmare from her mind. Yugi put an arm on her shoulder and Tea rubbed her back.

"He'll never move on now." She said sadly.

"I want to stay. To help you through this. But the Academy only gave us two days, and it's a half a days journey to get back to the tower. We-"

"It's alright. There's really nothing that can be done. I'll be ok." She said. Tea and Yugi were walked to the door, and paused to say goodbye to their friend.

"Oh, if you need a job, my grandfather said Mr Hawkins needs a new waitress now that Millie left to have her baby." Serenity nodded to Yugi, giving him and Tea a hug before waving them off. She waited behind the closed door until she was sure they had left before opening the door and leaving towards the forest.

After hours of gathering clays of red, and orange and yellow, and berries of the purples and blues and reds, Serenity had a working pallet with which she could mix and wet for any color she could dream of. She wandered the forest finding large rocks that she had already painted. She marched deeper and deeper south until she could find an unmarked stone for her to paint and finally she did find one.

The sun had set before she finished, but she was determined to continue, using the stars and the moon as lights. The image on the rock was her brother, strong and happy, but his eyes... they were wrong. He looked sad. She didn't want to portray him that way. She used water to remove the paint and try again. Still, they were wrong. She erased and repainted over and over again, getting more frustrated with every attempt until finally she threw the pallet against the stone and smeared it across the painting. She punched the rock, slamming her fist into it again and again, crying and getting paint all over herself.

After an eternity of this she lifted herself off of the ruined painting. Her face was red and wet with her sadness as she raised and started back to the town. She was convinced that he was lost in the world, barred from ever entering heaven, and she couldn't do anything to save him.

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><p>"Little miss, here, you're doing a great job." Mr. Syles said, handing her two copper pieces.<p>

"The ale was only one, I cant-" Serenity said, trying to hand back the extra piece.

"No no, that's for you. Don't you worry yourself about it, you earned it." The man said, refusing the return. Serenity smiled down at him. She knew he was doing it mostly because of her loss, but that was how the town worked. They took care of each other, in the same way Joey and Serenity had helped when Rebecca, Mr. Hawkins granddaughter, had gone missing two or three years ago. Serenity smiled and accepted the tip.

"You really are doing well." Mr. Hawkins said as he cleaned a glass and returned it to the rack.

"Thank you sir." She said, wearing a smile he was sure was fake. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye.

"Call me Arthur." He said warmly. Serenity just nodded and began cleaning the tables that had cleared. Before she could finish the first table, the door to the bar swung open violently.

Two men, Knights, in full plate mail, sauntered into the building. They marched up to Arthur and leaned rudely onto the bar. They shot Serenity a pompous wink and turned back to the barkeep.

"We are here to collect taxes for this month. Twenty percent of all earnings." One informed him. Arthur looked shocked.

"But, tax collection happens at the end of the month, and we're barely into August. We've just paid our taxes not even two weeks ago." He exclaimed to the Knights, They glared at him, silencing him.

"Those were your country taxes. The nephew of the King has been given this province under his city of Mizzdred to the north east. The Viscount now is entitled to tax his county's separately from the country." Arthur was speechless. The town was already the poorest in the land, and an extra tax would surly mean starvation. He had no choice. These men thirsted for blood, and he wouldn't be the one to give them the opportunity.

He handed them the twenty percent and they raised an eyebrow.

"This? This is all you can give?" They slammed the mostly empty pouch of money onto the table and glared at him. "This is barely two silver pieces worth!"

"It's all I can give!" Arthur cried, not sure what else he could do. Serenity dug into her pockets and pulled out her wages that she had earned.

"Please, will this do?" She said, offering her small earnings to them. They glanced down at the maiden, and snatched the small pile of copper from her, then turned towards the door.

"We'll be back." They promised before leaving and heading towards the next establishment to torture. Serenity swallowed and prayed nothing would happen to the town.

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**So what do you think so far? Worth continuing? Should I scrap it? Maybe it's still too soon to tell. Let me know! **

**Read, Review, and Enjoy! ~Love ya!**


	2. The Bells of War

Chapter 2: The Bells of War

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The knights had finally left the small town, satisfied with their collections. Serenity sighed deeply, walking back to her small two room home. There had been many close calls where the knights had caused a commotion, but overall everyone was left unscathed. When Serenity arrived, her door was opened. She shrugged it off and entered, assuming someone had stopped by and left the door ajar.

Closing the door behind her she headed for her bedroom, wanting to get out of her clothes and into her sleep dress. She entered the room, grabbing her sleeping gown off of her bed and turned. A gasp peeled out of her as she finally saw her intruder.

A dog laying across her brother's bed. No... It wasn't a dog, but a wolf, a bit small for a wolf, but it was obvious. The animal had sand colored fur which darkened to a full brown at the tip of it's tail and all four paws. It's underbelly was white, or at least it would be if it weren't for the blood. It had bite marks on it's shoulders and scratches and gouges along it's thighs and back. The wolf looked up at her, now aware of her presence and began to stand.

Serenity backed away from the creature, trying to put space between them. She ended up in the corner of her room, almost between her bed and the wall. The young wolf limped over to her, but gave her at least five feet. After it stopped moving, it whined a bit and licked it's paw, then sat before her. She didn't know what to do. It didn't seem like an angry or hungry wolf, but it was still an animal.

After a few minutes, she edged towards it slowly. Extending a hand in front of her she watched as the wolf's tail wagged behind it. The wolf sniffed her interestedly and licked her hand. He petted the thing and it nuzzled into her touch. As she stroked it, the wolf let out a yelp and flinched away. She looked at her hand and realized she had touched one of it's open wounds.

Serenity got up, feeling safe with the animal and started towards the kitchen. She patted her leg behind her to call to the poor creature and it followed. She removed the large bathing basin from it's storage place and turned back to the wolf, who was beginning to retreat back into the bedroom.

"No, no, It's ok." She said, steadying the animal with the kindest voice she could muster. "I'm going to be back, don't worry." She said before leaving out the door and shutting it securely. She fetched a few buckets of water from the well and returned. She started a fire and heated the water, stroking the wolf's head as she waited for it to be ready.

When it was finished, she tapped the inside of the basin, trying to get the wolf to enter willingly. It looked at her as if she had gone insane. Finally she was able to guide the animal in with a combination of calls and pulling on the pup. She poured the warm water over the wolf, filling the basin by a few inches, then grabbed a cloth and wrapped it into a ball. She dipped the cloth ball into the water and began to clean the creature. It sat in the basin, enjoying the feeling of warm water over its painful areas.

After bathing, she used spare bits of cloth to cover the wounds that would not close. She was exhausted and tired by the end of it and decided to head to bed. The wolf followed, watching her jump up onto her own bed and then looked over towards the extra bed in the room that it had been laying on before hand. It looked back towards her once more and she smiled down to it.

"It's ok. You can sleep on that bed... No one's using it anymore." She said. The wolf moved towards the bed, putting it's two front paws up onto it then looked back at her again. She nodded again and the animal pulled itself up, circled and snuggled into the cushion.

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><p>"What is this?" A voice called in the night.<p>

"I don't know. It showed up last night. It's nothing like the others." Another answered. The two figures stood over a large boulder, splattered and smeared with paint.

"She's getting more gutsy." The first chuckled. The second only grunted. "Are we going to do something about it?"

"... No... It's only one girl. If we kill her, they'll start the hunts again. But if more come... you have my permission to attack." The second glanced down at the boulder once more, before nodding off the other figure.

"Yes, my Lord."

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><p>Over the few weeks of peace the town had, the wolf had come and gone to Serenity's home. Every few days it would show up, bloody and hurt and she would nurse the thing for the night and it would be gone by the morning. She had actually grown fond of the wolf. She didn't tell anyone about it, for fear that they would kill the pup out of worry for her safety. It was her little secret. Her little comfort.<p>

She decided to wake early this morning, and mingle with the town. Her first place of choice was the tavern where she worked. She swung open the door and froze. There were three knights this time. One at either end of the bar and one holding Arthur by the throat up against the wall. Their eyes grazed over her and the Knight holding Arthur dropped him and turned towards her.

"Leave her alone!" Arthur cried out hoarsely. His throat had still not recovered. The knights merely laughed. The one that had hurt Arthur stalked over to Serenity. She backed away as far as she could, but his hand shot out and gripped her arm painfully. It was her turn to be brought against the wall when Arthur called out again. "Let her go! Please!"

"Why? She'll be dead soon anyways. Why let such a perfect little girl go to waste?" The knight said, grinning widely. Serenity's breath caught in her throat and she tried to struggle away. Her attempts went in vain as his grip tightened and he bent her arm to the side to stop her wriggling. Suddenly someone barged through the doors and grabbed everyone's attention.

"Captain!" The new knight called, eyes resting on Serenity's assaulter. "The Viscount summons us. He's requesting we make haste." The breathless guard exclaimed. The captain growled and released her.

"We'll start with you, you know." He said to Arthur. "And I do hope we meet again before I kill you" he said to Serenity, Touching her hair making her cringe. They left and Serenity and Arthur relaxed visibly.

"Why were they here? They don't collect taxes for two more weeks." She said leaving the question open.

"They were here to taunt us." Arthur said, his face was pale and his hands shook. "They're going to raze the town." Serenity's jaw dropped.

"They... They cant do that!"

"They can. The rumors of war with the country to the south are true, and the Viscount wants to make this a training base. He also wants the abandoned castle as a fort."

"But... the demons to the south... They..." Arthur nodded.

"He doesn't believe in them. They will destroy him, but... he's going to destroy us first." Arthur said. "We need to call the town." Serenity nodded.

"I'll help you gather them." She said and they both left. It didn't take long to gather the residents and call the town meeting. Serenity and Arthur kept the reasoning a secret until everyone was gathered to prevent panic. When they finally did reveal their reasoning, everyone burst out in horror and wonder. Many 'How could they do that?'s and 'what are we going to do?'s filled the room.

"What about the Mages Academy to the east?" One cried, but it was quickly shut down as someone explained the headmaster was a close friend of the king. More chatter filled the room as people were desperate for help.

"What about the country to the south? They might-"Someone tried.

"No, they'd do the same and use this village as a foothold!" One pointed out.

"And we'd have to cross the Demon's territory." Another added.

"The Demons! They will have to deal with them eventually, they might just help us!"

"They'd rather kill us than help us."

"And we haven't made a sacrifice in hundreds of years..."

"Sacrifice?" Serenity piped up.

"They used to demand sacrifices in return for protection. Once peace was achieved, the sacrifices became sparse and eventually ended."

"Do you think they would try the same deal with us now?" Serenity asked.

"We don't have the farms we used to. Our chickens are for their eggs, and the cows the beef. Our goats and mules are for cheese and plowing. We have none to spare..."

"They'd probably demand a human." Gasps rang out and a quiet murmur filled the tavern. Serenity sighed and slowly rose. The murmurs quieted and she spoke.

"I'll go." Everyone cried out, trying to be heard over each other as they attempted to dissuade her, but her mind was set. " I..." She waited for them to calm. "I don't really have anything left. My closest friends are gone and safe in the Academy, my parents lost in the last great plague, and now my brother..."She choked back a tear. "I have nothing left but to offer myself for the only other people who have ever meant anything to me. I've been to the forest in the south. I know where the woods turn dark before the sun sets. I'll go. I wont let anyone else I care about hurt. I want to go. Please. Let me." The town objected still, but her points quieted them. "Goodbye everyone. I love you." She gave a polite bow and began for the door.

"Wait, you cant just leave now!"

"We need a proper goodbye."

"Let us do something for you..." The townspeople called. Arthur approached her.

"You know, this hurts me." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You've been like a granddaughter to me ever since Rebecca..." He turned away, unable to look her in the eye. "But... I'm proud of you. It's your decision. I know you only have the town in mind, and I wish it didn't have to be this way." He hugged her to him, and fought back tears. The towns folk cried and hugged her and begged her not to go, but she stuck by her decision.

Serenity started out into the forest. The trees and rocks and bushes calmed her as she moved towards her end. She could admit that she was scared, but she also held no regrets. Around her the air became heavier and the light seemed to evaporate. It felt like dusk when she came upon a large boulder. She frowned as she looked upon the muddled image of her brother that she had failed on. Her fingers brushed the flaky paint and she sighed.

"And, what exactly are you doing in my forest?"

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**So, kinda short but the next chappie will be fun. I'd love to hear feedback, so please don't forget to review. It seems like no one reviews these days and it's kinda depressing. Of course I'm from the time where you'd get twenty reviews per chapter... But that was like .. .7 years ago...oh how the times have changed. **enter 'Back in my day' story here****

**Lol at least my writings better now... I think**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy~ Love ya!**


	3. Negotiation

Chapter 3: Negotiation

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"He's got to be dead this time. The little coward." A sandy blonde man paced the woods, scanning the area with a weary eye.

"He's come back every other time." A blonde girl said, leaning against a tree and watching him. Her blue eyes met his purple ones briefly, but she backed down.

"Merik, I'm sure you killed him this time. There's only so many times the dead can come back to life." A brunette girl approached him, rubbing his shoulders and trying to get him to relax.

"He's turned half the pack. How? I've beaten him. I've beaten him every time, yet they still go to him! I barely have enough to fight off those damned demons my brother keeps sending." He growled, the thought of his brother enraging him more.

"We don't need those traitors. We'll destroy them in time." The brunette chimed, trying to soothe him. A sudden movement caught his eye, and the three froze. A bush in front of them rattled, then a sand colored wolf emerged. Merik didn't hesitate to launch at him, turning into a large humanoid beast mid air. His claws came down at the wolf as he roared loudly, but the smaller creature darted away easily. The two girls transformed as well, snouts, ears and fur like a wolf's, but able to stand on two legs and larger like a person. The brunette launched at where the wolf landed, but was assaulted mid leap by another.

The small wolf had brought it's pack. The brunette female kicked her assailant off, lifted her head and howled. She launched herself to her feet, jumping at the black hybrid again. It's powerful claws tore into her side, flinging her into a tree. More of the small wolf's friends appeared and the battle seemed in vain.

The sand wolf dodged and dodged again, every angered swing Merik attempted, landed on air. His ears twitched as he heard his own pack closing in. The sand wolf heard it to. It darted backwards once, twice, three times. Leading Merik farther and farther into the woods. Merik knew the wolf was trying to separate him, but didn't care. If it was one on one he knew he would win.

He launched at the pup, but the wolf was too quick. It stopped short, and he overshot it. While Merik rolled to a stop and turned, the wolf locked itself onto his neck. He swung violently and clawed at the wolf to get it off. Finally, he whipped his body hard against a tree and the wolf let go. Blood poured from his throat as he fell back, watching the wolf try to rise. He seemed to have injured the wolf's leg. The animal tried to get up, but only fell back every time. Merik could feel his own transformation slipping, knowing the gouge in his throat weakened him too much for him to be able to sustain a hybrid form.

Human again, Merik approached the wolf, who tried to back away desperately. Merik kicked the thing against the tree it was backing into. He smiled as it yelped in pain.

"Do you know why you are a wolf?" He asked menacingly as he stepped on the creatures chest. "It's because I sired you. I locked you in this form. You will never be a full werewolf. You'll die, a pathetic dog." He slowly crushed the chest of the creature below him when he was attacked from behind. He was pinned face down in the dirt. He barely managed to turn his head before freezing in place.

"Y-You!" He cried out, unable to breath in for anything else. The white and tan hybrid above him shifted back into human form and the small blonde girl smiled. "Traitor!" He called, gaining some air under her reduced weight.

"Funny, Merik, you never suspected me. You were too desperate to believe you were in control, you never realized when it slipped through your fingers." She said. Her blue eyes flickered over to the wolf who had finally succeeded in standing. "The only way you can control your body again is if you are the one to end him." She said. The wolf hesitated a bit, but started towards him. The entire forest resonated with his scream, but as soon as it had started, it ended.

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><p>Serenity spun and looked wildly around. The voice seemed to appear from nowhere, but everywhere at the same time. She backed against the boulder and tried to steady her breathing.<p>

"It isn't nice to keep a lord waiting." another voice called. She looked again, unable to find the source.

" I... I've come because... I'm here to make a deal."

"A deal?" The first, the lord, spoke again. "What kind of deal would I make with a human?" it asked, amused.

"One you've made in the past... The town of Eadenburg needs help." She informed them. "Once, a long time ago, you accepted sacrifices to protect us. We were hoping we could come to a similar agreement." Serenity was surprised she could find her voice.

" We haven't seen a goat or cow in hundreds of years, and now you come to us? Where have our sacrifices been?" The second voice chided.

"Our deal wasn't one you can just stop and start at your will, little nymph. Where is our sacrifice now?" The first added.

"...I am." A boom of laughter filled the forest. The second voice apparently thought her notion was hilarious.

"What would we want you for?" It asked between stifles of laughter.

"We have nothing else to offer you... Even... Even if you don't take our deal...If you don't accept me... I think you should know... Mizzdred plans to raze the town. They're going to turn it into a training ground. And then... they want your castle." The second voice's laughter stopped. The silence in the forest was unbearable. She began to wonder if they had left. "H... Hello?" She rose and took a few steps, searching again for any sign of life. Suddenly before her was a robed man with pale yellow hair and dark violet eyes. She let out a scream and backed away from him as rapidly as she could. Unfortunately she only made it about three feet before crashing into something.

She turned her head slowly, to see the thing she had collided with and her honey eyes met two of the most beautiful ones she had ever seen. Blue, like the clearest lake, with a ring of silver around them. She gasped and tried to move away but was stunned at his smile. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She could barely breath.

His hands moved her body for her, making her face him. He had fine dark brown hair that dusted his eyes and wore an intricate cape of black with silver embroidery. His leather vest had many compartments and pouches and complimented the leather chaps fastened to his body with many belts. She was positive he had many weapons on him, not that he seemed to need any. His hand guided her eyes back to his and he finally spoke.

"You say you are a sacrifice... yet you come willingly." He observed, not even forming the question he was asking. She nodded and understood.

"I would give my life... my soul for my town. I am scared... but...I wont let them die." She said, finding strength in her own words. He nodded, then quietly thought to himself. His gaze wandered to the blonde man's and they exchanged looks Serenity couldn't decipher.

"No deal." He said and she paled. Be began to turn away from her when she found herself reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"Wait!" She called before she could stop herself. The demon froze. His gaze traveled down to where her hand clenched his sleeve, then up at her. His eyes made her tremble and release him and she fell to the ground. "P-please... We'll do anything." She sobbed. " I cant let them die... I cant...please..." She was beginning to shake. She was bowing before him as he looked down at her. He offered his companion a smirk and spoke.

"There would be one stipulation." He said, and she looked up to him. "You already belong to me, sacrifice or no." He pointed out. She looked at him quizzically and he smirked down on her. "You've trespassed numerous times, taken pieces of my forest, and littered it with your scrawlings. You're mine." Serenity sunk into herself. It was true. The town had warned everyone not to enter the forest unless they wanted to be taken. They had every right and ability to kill her every time she entered, but they had spared her.

"Then... what is your demand?" She asked, agreeing to his ownership of her.

"Eadenburg." he said plainly. She looked at him, trying to understand and he sighed. "I want the town. It will be considered my territory, like the forest, and in turn will be free of the King and whomever else wants claim on it. You will pay taxes to us instead, and we will defend it as our land." He explained.

"I... I cant make that decision for the town." He growled above her. "Let me ask them, I'm sure they'll say yes. I just cant make that decision for them!" She begged. He knelt in front of her, lifting her face to his again, but this time, not as gently.

"Fine... Go. You have until sundown to return. If you're not back in time, I'll raze the town myself." Her eyes widened, but she agreed. She rose as he did and turned towards the town. A startled cry escaped her as he gripped her arms, bringing her back against him roughly. "I'll be watching you." His hands seemed to disappear from her, and when she turned to look at him, he was gone. There was no sign of either of the demons. She just swallowed hard and started for Eadenburg.

"Se-... Serenity!" One of the towns folk cried. They ran to embrace her and more people started pouring out after hearing her name. Arthur broke through the crowd, giving her a squeeze and holding her out, to look at her.

"Arthur... I... I need to call the town again." She said sadly. He looked at her with confusion, but nodded. Everyone gathered quickly to where she stood and waited for Serenity to speak. "The demons will agree to protect the town-" The people began a chatter, cutting her off, and she put her arms up and called for them to listen. "If! If we agree to give them the town." Everyone quieted again. "They want this as their territory. They'll defend it as their own and instead of paying the King and the Viscount, we pay them." She finished. There was a murmur in the town, but Arthur stood.

"I would rather pay the Demons than the Kind and his nephew." He called out. The town's murmurs were turning into nods and agreement as people weighed the choices.

"Really?" In one motion, the town faced the knights that had taunted Arthur and Serenity in the bar earlier that day. The knights drew their swords and the towns people began to flee. Arthur grabbed Serenity and pulled her towards his home, but an armored hand grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out of his hands. Her back landed painfully against the metal shielding his body. His other hand traveled her body as he chuckled. "I was hoping I'd get this chance." He whispered into her ear.

Arthur yelled as he turned and started back for the knight, but the monster was too quick. He removed his free hand from her body, drew his sword, and sliced down. Serenity screamed and Arthur cried out. The wound was bad, but Arthur could still stand.

"Move, back to the center." He instructed, making Arthur walk ahead of him. The other few knights had rounded up the village through threats of violence. They were all kneeling, crying and worried as Serenity and Arthur approached.

"Our orders sir?" one of the knights asked.

"Kill them. Kill them all." gasps and shrieks filled the crowd and the Captain threw Arthur down in front of the group. "Start with this one." Serenity felt sick as his hands began to roam her once more, touching places she never wanted him to touch. Tears fell as she watched one guard raise his sword over the crouching bleeding man.

His sword never made it down. The entire area gasped, knights included, as a tall, brunette halted the sword with one hand. His icy blue and silver gaze landed on Serenity as he turned his head to see her.

"Well?" He asked her. She swallowed hard and nodded. "Good." His eyes turned to the man who's sword he held and a smirk crossed the demon's lips.

The sword bent in the demon's grasp and flew off to the side with a flick of his wrist. Before anyone could blink the demon lord's hand pierced the heavy breastplate, ripping deep into the guard. The Captain threw Serenity to the side, charging him, but never made it. The demon's heavy leather boot connected with his jaw and sent him flying back. His leg swung back down and around, tripping the man. He removed his hand from the chest of the now dead guard and kicked the Captain hard in the head.

His stride turned into a jog and after three large steps he vanished from sight, only appearing a second later behind another guard. The demon's arms wrapped around the guards chest, crushing the guard inside of it. He dropped the wriggling man and watched as his face turned purple and he struggled to get the broken metal off.

Serenity's scream alerted him to something behind him and he turned in time to see a mace swinging at his head. The weapon came down on him with a tremendous force and he slid back a few feet as the mace connected with his arm. He had curled down behind his arm, bracing it with his other hand and taking a knee in the dirt.

His blocking arm grasped the mace and brought the guard forward and off balance. The demon turned slightly, allowing his leg free movement and struck the guard with it, sending him flying backwards. The demon vanished again, but the guard didn't have to wait to know where he was now. A strong arm grasped him from behind, bringing him against the demon. He watched the demon's hand pass in front of his face, then felt it rake across his throat, opening it. His scream was mute and the only noise escaping him was a sickening gurgling noise as he fell to the ground. The demon looked around, making sure this guard was the last, and approached the Captain who was just coming to.

"You," The demon said, lifting the mans head and looking into his eyes, "are going to have the honor of telling your liege that this town is mine. Step foot in it again and I wont let you just walk away."

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**So, what do you think? Lots of action in this one. Lots of bloody bloody action. The Demon lord is quite ruthless isn't he? **

**Read, Review, and Enjoy~ Love ya  
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	4. Truce

Chapter 4: Truce

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The captain scampered off into the woods to the north east and the demon lord turned to address the town. Serenity stood and approached him. He stared down at her and the townspeople were deathly quiet.

"... Thank you...Thank you so much." She fell to her knees before him, bowing low. His eyes wandered the crowd and they were doing the same.

"Get up." He told her, "We're leaving." He started past the crowd and moved to the south.

"You're... Still taking her?" Arthur tried to stand but couldn't manage the strain. Serenity bent to help him and he grabbed her hand and looked up at the demon lord.

"It's alright Arthur, just keep calm." She looked up to some of the other residents and they took him. A few of them hugged her and whispered their goodbyes. "Bye... I love you all." She said, turning back to the demon lord who was watching her. He led her back into the forest in silence.

"Um..." She broke the silence after almost an hour of walking.

"Yes?" The demon called back without turning to look at her.

"What... what are you going to do with me?" The demon only chuckled. "You...You're not going to kill me?" She asked. He could hear the fear in her voice. He stopped abruptly and she almost walked into him. He turned, now facing her.

"I could kill you, if that's what you'd like." He said, making her breath catch in her throat as she backed away. Once he was satisfied with scaring her, he smirked down at the little redhead. "If I had wanted to kill you, little nymph, I would ha-"

"My lord!" The demon lord paused as the same demon who had accompanied him before appeared out of the brush to the side of them. "The wolves, they're-" Before he could finish a werewolf launched itself at him, ripping him down to the ground. They could hear his moans under the creature.

Another werewolf stalked forward slowly from behind them. The demon lord grabbed Serenity, pulled her behind him and growled at the beast. The werewolf was a light tan color on it's back and tail and a bright white along it's sides, underbelly, paws and head. The demon crouched, ready to strike, but Serenity grabbed hold of his sleeve. He would have to teach her better later.

"It doesn't look like it's about to attack" She whispered to him. The wolf turned it's gaze on her and Serenity turned cold. The creature cocked it's head to the side and took a step towards her. He could feel her grip tighten on his arm. Suddenly the creature hunched over, slowly shifting itself into a smaller figure.

A small blonde girl rose before them, no older than fifteen, but she stood proud and strong. She kept her gaze on Serenity and walked towards her, attempting to circle the demon, but he moved to block her. She glared up at him now that he straightened himself, and sighed.

"What's the matter Serenity? Afraid of me?" She said, still looking at him. Serenity gasped and looked the girl over.

"... You..." The demon broke eye contact with the wolf to glance over his shoulder at her. "R... Rebecca?" The wolf pushed him out of the way as she embraced Serenity, lifting her in the air and twirling. Serenity didn't remember her ever being so strong, but she had changed a lot in the past few years. The demon bounced back up quickly, but hadn't fully processed what was happening. The wolf, Rebecca, finally placed his little nymph onto the ground, and turned back to him. Wearing a smug smile, she remained embracing Serenity and addressed him.

"My leader will be here soon. He want's to talk to you." She faced Serenity again. "And I have a surprise for you too! oh... But what about my grandpa? How is he?" She asked excitedly. The demon glared at her, but looked to Serenity. She had been staring at him when he realized she was looking for permission. He sighed heavily and nodded. This wolf was dangerous, but didn't seem to be a threat right now, and he didn't feel like causing the death of one of his subjects.

"He... He's injured." Rebecca gasped and looked on for Serenity's explanation. "One of the knights from Mizzdred hurt him." Serenity watched anger rise in the girl and quickly continued before something happened. "The knights are gone now." Serenity's gaze landed on her companion. "He took care of them." Rebecca's blue eyes met the demon's and she slowly nodded. Suddenly her head whipped southward.

"He's almost here." She said quietly.

"I have no intention of giving Malik to Merik." The demon lord informed her. She giggled and he narrowed his gaze.

"Haven't you heard the news? Merik's dead." She smiled as the demon lord remained speechless. "Our new leader is coming. He wants to talk to you." His eyes moved over to the demon under the other wolf.

"Let him go."

"No, he's violent towards us." She said simply. Before the demon lord could make another argument, the bushes to the south ruffled. A small sand colored wolf walked forward. It looked over to Rebecca, who had one arm around Serenity with a smile on her face, and it paused. It adjusted it's course, moving to Serenity. The demon growled and moved to intercept him, but the girl had moved and stopped him. He flung the blonde girl to the side and raced towards the redhead, but lightening fast, the wolf was between them. He crouched low again, like before, but again, like before, the little nymph stopped him.

"Wait... I know this wolf." She said. He remained ready to attack, but halted his movement. The wolf turned to her and it's tail wagged. "You're a werewolf?" She asked it. "at least you're not all beat up this time." She said, approaching the pup. She stopped and took a step back as it began to stand and grew in size. It took it's final form and she gasped, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Hey little sis." The demon immediately tensed. Sis? As in sister? He looked to the girl and tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

"J-Joey? It... it cant be... you were... you died, I watched you die! And you visited... you saw me every few days! Why didn't you tell me... why didn't you show me-" he hugged his sister to him.

"I couldn't. I'm new on all the powers of werewolves, so I don't really understand, but I was stuck like that. And... I wanted to see ya." Joey hugged her again, then turned to the Demon. "Now for business." He said, walking up to him and staring him down. He signaled for his other werewolf to bring over the demon trapped beneath him"Look. I know there's a lotta bad blood between us. But it doesn't have to be that way. The pack's sick of fighting." Joey's attention turned to the injured demon. "So this is Malik. You're brother was a real piece of work." He said.

"Was?" Malik's eyes narrowed.

"I... I'm sorry." Joey said, averting his gaze. Malik laughed out.

"My brother was a blood thirsty fool. How did he die?" Joeys gaze flickered at his little sister, then he leaned in to the demon and whispered something to him. "His end suited him." Joey nodded to the werewolf and it dropped Malik.

"Go home." He instructed and it followed his order. Malik straightened up and placed himself by his Lords side, muttering an apology.

"I'll deal with you later." He muttered to Malik before giving Joey his full attention. "And what exactly would you offer us?" Joey stared at him incredulously. "You don't think fighting off dogs is too much for us to handle do you?" Joey's fists balled.

"Listen, punk, Your guys are probably as sick of fighting as mine. I'm offering a truce. We hunt small game, you hunt large. Our lands are freaking full of the stuff you want and yours is the same for us. We don't gotta be friends, but at least if we're not at each others throats we can survive with more ease." He reasoned. The demon's eyes narrowed. He had strong points, and it was true, the wolves did make their lives more stressful, to say the least. Finally the demon lord nodded and Joey's attention was brought to his little sister. "And you... What the heck are you doin hanging around with demons?" he sounded angry.

"Joey... I-"

"She belongs to me." The demon said. Joey looked between the two and Serenity was forced to speak. She explained the situation the town was in, and about the knights that had attacked. When she was done, Joey was infuriated.

"They just threw you out here to die?" He yelled.

"No Joey I chose this!" She said, still trying to calm him.

"Listen, I don't have time for this. In the end, she's mine and we're done. " He strode over to her and stared down Joey.

"You fuckin touch her..." He threatened.

"She's mine to touch." He stepped behind her and pulled her against him, wrapping one arm around her stomach. Joey let out a feral growl.

"If I find out you hurt her, I will stop at nothin to destroy you." The demon smirked.

"Weren't you just preaching peace?" Joey only growled again, marching off to the north followed by Rebecca and the other wolf. "Well, wasn't that a treat?" The demon said sarcastically.

"My lord..." Malik said quietly. "I... I need to-"

"Go." The demon understood. Malik ran off into the forest, disappearing moments later. He began leading Serenity deeper south and they walked in silence again. The sun set and it was starting to get difficult for Serenity to see. She jerked forward, tripping over a root and collided with the demon in front of her. He slowed his pace, looking back at her and scoffed.

"Sorry... Um..." He raised an eyebrow, wondering what she wanted this time, but realized that she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Is that how you plan to address me from now on?" Serenity averted her gaze.

"Well, what would you have me call you?" She heard his silky voice chuckle ahead of her.

"You can call me 'My Lord', 'Sire', 'Master'... something along those lines."

"You... don't have a name?" His smile faded.

"Not one that's used often." Serenity took a few more steps and he sighed. "Seto." He finally answered.

"Huh?"

"My name. Seto." She smiled

"Seto..." She said, thinking aloud.

"That's Lord Seto to you." He corrected.

"O-Of course, Lord Seto, sorry." She righted herself. His smile returned at her coyness.

"Now, you had a question?" He said prompting her.

"Oh, yes... Why... Why do you call me a nymph?" She heard him chuckle again, but he didn't answer this time. "I... I hear nymphs are forest creatures of beauty. That they're part fairy-"

"They're not."

"You... you've seen a nymph?" She asked.

"A few. You can tell when you see a Fey." He informed her. She looked at him with wonder. "They glow." Serenity smiled and looked ahead. Seto heard a gasp and turned to see she had stopped a few feet back. He looked up at his castle, then back to her.

"It's so big..." He smirked.

"It's small for a castle." He informed her as she took a shaky step forward.

"It's the biggest building I've ever seen."

"You must not leave Eadenburg much." He said continuing forward. She just shook her head and followed him.

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**Another chapter down. Hope you guys liked it.**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy~Love ya**


	5. The Hunt

Chapter 5: The Hunt

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The castle was indeed large. The stonework was a black granite Serenity had never seen before and it seemed the outer walls housed a small village. Once inside, there was a tall keep at the center of the village, looking over the rest of the area. Seto led her into the main keep and through it to her room. It had been rather late and he could tell she was getting tired. They both had had a long day.

He left her after showing her where some extra garments were and where the chamberpot was. She was finally alone. She plopped on the large bad, sighing to herself. She was still alive. And better yet, the town was safe and her brother... he was alive. She couldn't help but smile. Everything seemed like a piece of heaven. She drifted off to a happy slumber.

Serenity's eyes fluttered open. The room around her blurred into focus and she gasped and jumped back a bit. Two green eyes stared down at her as she came to.

"So this is His Majesty's new pet?" The female before her chimed. "I wonder what's so special about you, mortal, that you would capture the lord's eye." She reached down and fiddled with a lock of Serenity's reddish hair. "Sure, your coloring is an oddity, but that's not enough to warrant a pet name like 'Nymph'. I wonder what would happen if you were to... disappear..." She said, making Serenity's eyes widen.

"His Majesty would destroy you." A voice from the doorway answered. Malik stood, leaning against the stone of the arch. "He favors this one. If you touch her, he will end you." He informed her, stepping into the room and separating the two.

"I'm sure I'm not-" Serenity started, but was cut off.

"Silence." Malik glared back at her. "You should leave before I inform the sire of what you've been doing. You know his temper is quick to run out." He warned the new female. She scoffed and disappeared into the hall. "And you," Malik addressed Serenity, "When I am speaking, do not interrupt. Unless you wish to die." He began for the door.

"But... you said..." Malik sighed.

"Not me you dolt. One of the others. They'll kill you, and eventually Lord Seto would kill them, but the damage will be done. I don't know what he could possibly see in you, but I'm not about to let that happen."

"You... Really care about him don't you?" Malik looked at her, eyebrow raised. "You're not like … the other people I know." He scoffed.

"Don't compare me to those mortals." Serenity decided to ignore his rudeness.

"You... you don't seem to care for much but I could tell he means a lot to you." She said. Malik turned away, still in the doorway.

"He is my closest friend." He admitted quietly. Serenity smiled.

"I'm glad he has such a loyal friend." Malik inhaled sharply and glanced over he shoulder towards her.

"I think... I'm beginning to see." With that he moved down the hall.

"Wait!" She called, earning her another glance. "What do I do?" She saw him shrug.

"I don't care. Explore. You've got free reign of the place." He continued on, refusing to be called again. Serenity wasn't sure where to start, but figured she'd have to start somewhere, so she picked a random direction and started to walk. The halls were large and empty. Her footsteps echoed as she turned corner after corner, traveling the large area. As she came to another corner, similar to all of the ones she had passed prior, she felt her stomach rumble. She then realized that she hadn't eaten since the day before her 'sacrifice'.

She finally made it to the great hall in the front of the keep when she ran into someone. The man was tall with short black hair and warm brown eyes. He held a tray in front of him hat smelled of wonderful delights.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said, bowing slightly in embarrassment.

"Well, I wasn't expecting a human here." He said. Serenity blinked and looked around.

"Um, how can you tell?" She asked. The demons looked human enough, except for maybe their eyes.

"You apologized. They don't." He chuckled. Serenity found herself laughing along. He gave a polite bow and introduced himself. "My name is Bryan."

"I'm Serenity." She bowed back. "You don't seem to be a demon." She observed and he flashed her a brilliant smile.

"My family...My clan is not demon. It's not quite human either." Serenity looked at him confusedly. "We're like humans, only, our blood is poisonous to demons and other beings. The demons and all the others used to hunt us because we could be used against them as weapons. But Lord Seto changed that. He took our clan, the Sealie Clan in and made peace with us. The demons protect us from the dangers of the others. In exchange we live and work with them." He paused as Serenity's stomach rudely interrupted them. "Heh, seems like you're hungry." he said, beckoning her into the room he had been leaving when she bumped into him.

The room was a common dining hall. There were tables similar to the ones in Arthur's tavern and a few people chatting and eating. He waved her over to a table and disappeared into another door. A few minutes later he emerged with a smaller tray stacked with bread and fruit. He placed the tray before her and her eyes lit up. They sat and chatted a bit before someone approached. He said something into Bryan's ear and he nodded then turned back to Serenity.

"I'm sorry, I have to work now." He said, standing. Serenity, not wanting to be alone rose with him.

"You... don't mind if I tag along do you?" She asked hopefully. He shrugged and nodded her on. She followed him as he traveled back and forth between the dormitories and the dining area.

"Some demons prefer their food brought to them." He explained along the way. He was so entirely different from the demons. They seemed to take pleasure in scaring people, and were so distant and hard to get to know. He was just so warm.

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><p>Seto paced his room. The sun had already come up but he wasn't tired. He had been awake for well over 24 hours, but he couldn't rest. He had attempted visiting his little nymph earlier, but she had already awakened and left to 'explore' as Malik put it. He had decided to leave her to it, but was regretting his choice.<p>

'I should have shown her around... she's probably lost.' He thought to himself. 'I should go look for-' A soft laugh removed his train of thought. It was definitely her. He moved through the door and out into the hall. As he turned, the laughter stopped.

"S-sire." The servant before him bowed low. He watched Serenity glance up at him, look at the boy quickly and then bow herself.

"Where have you been?" He asked Serenity, eyes locked on the servant.

"I've been learning the castle." She answered.

"I've been looking for you." She met his eyes again and he motioned for her to follow him. The servant bowed back under the glare of his lord. Serenity tried a nervous smile and waved goodbye to him. Once inside the room the demon lord was silent. He was turned towards a large bed in the room so she couldn't see his face.

"Are you ok?" Serenity asked, taking a step towards him.

"I understand there was an altercation this morning." Serenity thought for a moment. She had almost forgotten about the demoness in her room when she woke.

"It was nothing. Nothing happened."

"Malik informed me that she was threatening you." He turned to her and she looked away.

"He was exaggerating." She said quietly. Seto walked to her, lifting her chin and forcing her eyes to his.

"Did she touch you?" Serenity thought for a moment, temporarily dazed by his sudden closeness.

"She..." Serenity played absentmindedly with the lock of hair the demoness had fiddled with that morning. "did touch my hair a little," He growled and stepped suddenly away, heading for the door. "It was nothing! It didn't hurt, she didn't do anything." Serenity tried. She reached for his sleeve like she had done so many times, but he whipped it away before her fingers could connect.

"I'm only going to warn you once. Do not attempt to restrain me. Ever. I am the lord of this territory, and I dictate the necessities of the situations. The next time you try to stop me, it might cost you." His voice was deathly quiet. Serenity was only temporarily stunned.

"... Please... I don't want anyone to hurt because of me..." She squeezed her eyes closed, fearing the man, the demon, in front of her. He looked back at her and his anger faded. She stood silently, eyes closed and head dipped. Her body was trembling and he could almost smell the fear she had for him. A new anger washed over him as he cursed himself, pacing back to the archway.

"So you expect me to do nothing?" He finally said, lingering in his doorway. She opened her eyes, looking up at him as he stared down at her. He took a step towards her. "And what," He started, advancing on her. He continued as she tripped over herself, trying to back away. Her retreat was halted as his arm circled around her, trapping her against him. "What will you do when she comes back? When she rips off your arm? Cuts you from side to side? Breaks your neck? All just for her own satisfaction. And Malik wont always be there to stop her." He released her, and began to turn away, but her words snared him once more.

"Wait..." He did. He couldn't even will himself to continue.

"How long are you going to test your powers over me?" He questioned her.

"You really do care about me... don't you?" He didn't respond. He moved silently into the hall and she was alone again. "... It's sweet." He froze a moment, just outside the door. She didn't know he had heard her, but he continued on, shaking his head.

'Maybe I should have killed her' He thought to himself absently. No one told him what he could and couldn't do. She had control over him, and it wasn't allowable. His whole body stopped as he thought back to her terror. Her small body shaking in his presence, eyes shut, face low. She was completely submissive to him. She even came to him willingly when she was certain he would end her. He shook the memory out of his head. 'It would be wise to kill her...but' he growled out loud as a feral inner part of him raged against his thoughts.

As he moved down the hall, the servant that had been laughing with Serenity exited a room in front of him. Immediately the servant bowed and moved to the side. Seto stopped in front of him and glanced at him.

"You're not to talk to her. You're not to look at her. She is mine." He muttered, loud enough for him to hear, and moved on.

"Yes sire..." He heard the servant behind him.

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><p>A thick fog rolled into the forest, obscuring the area and making it difficult to track. The trees were close and entangled with each other, slowing movement, and adding cover. It was perfect.<p>

She scaled the castle wall, looking for just the right cover to run out without being seen by the watchtowers. Between the weather and the tree coverage, she was able to slip out easily. She knew she didn't have long before the came after her, but she couldn't stay there any longer. It was now or never. She had to get out.

The woods passed quickly by her as she ran. She was quiet and fast, a combination built for survival. Something caught her attention and she halted suddenly. After a few moments she started again, at half speed this time. The noise caught her attention again, and she knew she'd been had. She straightened and surveyed the area slowly. Her eyes tracked a movement between two trees and she strode over, drawing a dagger from it's hilt on her thigh.

"I don't think that's wise." a humored voice called.

"Who are you?" She demanded. The voice only chuckled.

"I work for the king... And he's not pleased." It taunted her. She slashed the dagger out in front of her, curving around the trees. Her blade only met air. She whipped around and the owner of the voice stood, face to face with her. His menacing brown eyes glinted as he brought a hand up to rake through his snowy hair. He flashed her a grin, showing off his fangs.

"That wasn't very nice..." It taunted her. Before she could move he had grasped her throat and brought her closer. "You're father only told me not to kill you... I cant be held responsible for the horrors of the forest though." He said, raking a finger across her cheek and drawing blood. She raised her knee, flailing into him hard and he dropped her, hissing in a breath. Before she even hit the ground, she began to flee. She launched herself from tree to tree and ran through the forest faster and more desperately than ever.

The man stood slowly, smirking at the empty forest.

"It begins..." he said as he took his first step towards his prey.

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**I'm just gonna let you guys know, if you haven't been paying too much attention, I update my stories once every other day (though I've been known to update as quickly as twice a day) I know it really cuts back on the amount of reviews that I would get by making people wait, but I feel that's unfair. I write very quickly, and in turns sometimes my writing has errors, or is confusing. I'd really like it if you pointed out anything you notice as an error or anything that confuses you. I'm very interactive with my readers and tent to respond quickly to questions and reviews that require responding. So don't be a stranger, I look forward to hearing from you.**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy~ Love**


	6. Know Thy Enemy

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! Ok, on to the fic.**

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Chapter 6: Know Thy Enemy

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The sun shone brightly through the treetops. The woods were peaceful and lush. It was hard to believe that in just a month, the leaves would turn and fall and all the brilliant greens would become reds, yellows and oranges.

"How's your grandfather?" Joey asked the approaching blonde.

"He... He's doing alright. He's been resting the whole time." She said sadly.

"Did you... visit him?" Joey tried making eye contact, but the girl avoided him.

"I watched from the window." her feet shuffled beneath her and Joey put a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"When he's better, he'll be ready. He really misses you."

"I know. I'm just not sure about the rest of the town... what if they find out and they start the hunts..."

"I... I don't know. Maybe now that the demons are runnin the town, they'll be more accepting?" Joey tried. Rebecca looked sadly up at him.

"I hope-" A scream emanated from deep in the forest to the north. Joey shared a glance with Rebecca and they took off. The voice had to be a woman. Joey shifted immediately, gaining speed quickly as a full wolf. Rebecca moved more slowly, scouting dangers in the area ahead. She knew if there were silent threats in the area he would need backup.

Joey closed in on the origin of the scream within minutes.

"Try running now..." A white haired man held a blonde woman against a tree. She screamed out again as he raked his nails across her leg, gouging four bloody slices into her studded leather chaps and her thigh below it. Joey leaped at him, snaring the arm that held the girl against the tree. The white haired man, though taken off guard, reacted quickly and threw the wolf off of him. "Calling your little animal friends?" he chided.

Joey rolled and turned to strike again. He growled loud and launched again. The white haired man readied himself to defend and throw the wolf, but Joey veered off last second, dodging the counter and clenched his jaw down on the man's calf. He screamed out and kicked Joey hard, knocking him through a thorny bush. By the time Joey got back up the man was above him, arm raised to slice down on him. Joey began to dodge, but he didn't have to do much as Rebecca grabbed his arm and used his momentum to throw him into the ground. Joey moved before the man landed, ripping at his throat.

"If you don't kill him, he'll turn!" Rebecca warned him. The white haired man punched Joey hard on his sensitive belly, knocking him off. He turned and flashed a twisted grin, showing long gleaming fangs.

"Turn? Pah! I am immune to your disease. I'm a higher being than that." He spat, launching forward on all fours. Rebecca took a full hit, the mans nails raking across her chest. Her voice changed from a shrill scream to a wild roar as she changed into a werewolf. She only gave one swift glance from Joey to the blonde and launched at the man.

Joey turned into his human form again, approaching the woman.

"Are you able to walk?" He asked, she silently shook her head. "Get on" He said as he began to transform into his hybrid shape. He was huge in this form, easily able to life her. She climbed on his back and he began to retreat, roaring for Rebecca to withdraw. After about half a minute, they were surrounded by more wolves, in all forms. The man stopped just outside the ring of beasts and sneered.

"This will mean war." The man glared at Joey as the woman slipped off of him.

"War would have come with or without this." She said, finding strength with her protectors.

"When I come back, it will be with numbers." Before their eyes, the man shifted into a small winged creature and flew away.

"What the hell was that?" Joey asked, a man once more.

"He was Lord Bakura. King of the vampires. He is a servant of the king." The woman said. Joey stared at her incredulously.

"Why is he after you?" Joey asked, bending to inspect her wound and calling for some herbs the wolves used as medical supplies.

"Because... The king is my father." All eyes flashed to her. Joey froze, mid bandage.

"Then what are ya doing here?" He asked, accusation slipping into his tone.

"I was trying to run away. My father's thirst for power is taking over him. He's a king. He has an entire country under his rule, but it's not enough. He wants the world. He wants all of the races to bow before him and he doesn't care how many he has to torture and kill to get what he wants. He's a monster."

"Why?" Joey asked, new to the world of the supernatural. She shrugged.

"I don't know. He doesn't trust me." She sighed heavily.

"Well princess, what are you going to do now?" Joey asked, trying to make sure all his packs questions would be answered so she could rest sooner.

"I don't know... and I'm no princess anymore. Call me Mai."

* * *

><p>Serenity moved through the halls more easily today than the day before. She found the dining hall and even Bryan. He had been cleaning up some of the mess someone had left on a few tables when he saw her. She offered him a bright smile and waved, but he looked away. Now confused, Serenity walked towards him.<p>

"Bryan?" She called, standing over the table he was working at.

"What can I do for you?" He asked politely, not making eye contact.

"Did... Did I say something wrong? Or do something to upset you?" He stopped immediately.

"No, of course not..." he answered quickly.

"Then why are you avoiding me like the plague?" She attempted to look him eye to eye, but he pulled away.

"Listen," He said quietly, " I'm not allowed to speak to you. Sire ordered me himself to leave you alone, so I could get in very much trouble if I continue to talk to you. It's nothing you did. Please don't be upset with me." She heard the empathy in his voice and nodded. She headed back to the dormitories, and straight to the demon lords room. She settled herself before knocking on the door.

"Enter" She heard through the door. She opened it slowly and came face to face with Malik. He smirked as he brushed past her and disappeared down the hall. When she turned back Seto was staring at her. "Yes?" He asked. He seemed colder than he had been.

"... Why did you tell Bryan to avoid me?" His jaw clenched and he remained silent. She looked up at him, taking a step forward, but he balled his fists, cracking his knuckles and halting her.

"If you don't have something important to bother me about, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He said, obviously trying hard to remain calm.

"I... I'm sorry." He glanced her up and down. He wasn't expecting an apology. "I guess I just miss my home. don't get me wrong, this place is really great... I just miss... the community... the warmth." He remained silent, eyes locked on her. "When I talked to Bryan... I don't know." Seto felt his heart sink. ".. it just felt like I was back home-"

"This is your home now. You should get used to it." His anger was building as she spoke.

"It would be easier if I had someone to talk to-"

"I'm not here to make it easy. It's not supposed to be easy. You were a sacrifice, you don't get to chose how you live here." His raised voice and sudden stance made her cower. "I do. And I can choose whatever I like." He began to back her against the wall. "I could choose to let you free, or torture you until you die a twisted mess." She was flush against the wall, trying to will herself to sink farther back. He suddenly turned, and strode away from her. He could hear her sob behind him and tried desperately to calm himself. His mood turned from a burning fury to a desolate sadness. "He... He pleases you... doesn't he?" Serenity looked up at him through teary eyes.

"He doesn't scare me." She said plainly. His clenched hands trembled and he left. Serenity almost dropped to the ground, but forced herself back into her room before she did. She cried alone for an indeterminable amount of time before she finally lifted herself and noticed someone in the doorway.

"Humans... so weak." Malik murmured. She silenced another sob and glared at him

"You were wrong." She said to him. He tossed her a smirk as he raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't care about me." His smirk began to widen into a full smile. "I don't know why he kept me alive, but it's not because he likes me." She finished as he restrained himself from laughing in her face.

"Then why am I here?"

"...I don't know..." She said, a bit confused.

"Well, it certainly cant be because he asked me to check on you again. No, because he doesn't care... as a matter of fact... if he doesn't care, he wont bat an eye when I tell him you're severely depressed, to the point of suicidal." Her eyes widened.

"That's cruel!" She yelled, but he had already turned away.

"Not if you're right." she heard echo down the hall as he vanished from view.

* * *

><p>"My lord..." Malik's voice called through the door. Seto had been pacing in front of it. After he returned to his room and found it empty, he began to worry about Serenity, but feared his presence would have upset her. He yanked open the door, eager to hear the report on her well being.<p>

"Well?" He demanded, leaving Malik no time to start.

"She's quite upset." Seto's mouth flattened and his breathing became quiet and shallow as he waited for Malik to continue.

"Did she say anything?" Seto prompted him when it seemed the demon would not speak.

"Just desolate things. Something about being lonely and how life seemed meaningless... no, life...ah, life wasn't worth living... I think." Seto's breath caught in his throat. " Something like that. Anyways, she didn't say much after that, she just kept looking at the window-" Seto pushed past him before he could say anything else and he hurriedly moved to follow his liege. They quickly skated down the halls until they found their way to her room. When Seto burst in, Malik couldn't have planned it better himself.

Serenity sat quietly on the window ledge, staring down at the open plummet below. Seto raced forward, grabbing her and yanking her off of the ledge. She yelped, startled, as he pulled her against him and glared out the window.

"What are you doing?" She asked, shocked and a bit intimidated.

"I could ask you the same thing. What are you thinking, the window?" He almost yelled at her. She looked up at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Malik told me. He told me everything." Serenity looked over at Malik and he wore a wide grin, obviously enjoying himself.

"What? No!" Seto silenced her, cupping her cheek.

"This isn't the way to get what you want. I will put bars on that window if I have to." He said calmly.

"What? I'm not trying to get...what?" Serenity didn't know exactly what was going on or what Malik told him but she was sure she got the concept. "I'm not going to kill myself. He lied!" She tried, but Seto shook his head, obviously not believing her. He glanced over at Malik for a moment.

"Get out... and shut the door." He felt Serenity tremble against him as Malik shot him a sly smile and left them their privacy. He turned back to her and watched her shiver and shake in his arms. "Don't... don't fear me." He said, his heart breaking. Before she could speak again he pressed his lips against hers. She made a small squeaking noise in surprise, but quickly succumbed to him. The kiss was sweet and gentle, nothing like she thought any contact with this man would ever be.

He broke away from her briefly and she took a deep breath. Instantly a cinnamon scent filled her. He smelled sweet, soft and hot. She licked her lips and he claimed them again, more hungrily this time. And this time, she responded. One hand clenched his vest, pulling herself up, and her other hand moved to the back of his neck, tangling itself in his hair and pulling him down to her. He growled low into her mouth, enjoying her acceptance.

The door swung open, and Seto tore himself away from her. Malik stood, peering in. His smile was gone and he had a flat look on his face. She could feel him tense against her and watched his temper rise in his face. She stroked the back of his head, removing her fingers from his hair and tracing his jaw lightly before pulling back completely. His eyes moved to her again and he took a deep breath and stepped away from her.

"My lord, The leader of the wolves is here."

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**So yeah, Seto's totally not used to being nice. But his little 'Nymph' is worth it. I love the pairing. But I think it's about time for more peoples to show up. Over the next few chappies, I might get a chance to show all of the characters, and what they are and where and … all that jazz. I hope you enjoy the story.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	7. Planning and Plotting

Chapter 7: Planning and Plotting

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"Stay here." Seto commanded and Serenity froze, looking up at him sadly. He continued out the door and Malik closed it behind them. Once inside the greeting hall, Seto sat atop his throne. The Wolf leader stepped through, followed by a tall blonde human.

"Lord Seto." Joey greeted. Seto offered him a nod and turned to the blonde. "This is-"

"I know who this is. What are you doing here, princess?" Seto snarled as he asked. The blonde bowed.

"I'm no princess. Not anymore. I've disowned my lineage." She claimed.

"Hey... Where's my sister?" Joey asked, looking around the room. Some demons chuckled as they peered on. When joey returned his gaze to Seto, he had nodded off to another demon, who then left quickly.

"If she's the reason you're here..."

"No. That's not it. I was just expectin to see her. Mai." He turned to the princess, letting her take the conversation.

"We have an issue." She said, not knowing where to start. Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Lots of people have many." He pointed out sarcastically.

"It's about my fa- The king. He's gathering forces-"

"I already know he plans to take the castle. We'll never let-" Seto was the one to be cut off this time.

"He wants you dead, castle be damned." He fell silent. "He wants to eliminate all of the racial lords. He wants to dominate the powers of the world. He's been working on it for years now. I never thought he would actually be able to get enough followers to support him... but..." She trailed off, still barely able to believe it.

"How many?" She demon lord demanded.

"He's got two legions of six thousand to the north east and three of four thousand, and one of eight to the direct north." She informed him. The numbers were large. Far more than he could possibly muster. Even if each of his soldiers could take on five of the kings, he was still far overpowered. "But it's worse than that." His eyes flickered to hers and he gave her an intense stare. "The vampires have joined him." Seto's eyes widened. The vampires were the second strongest race, just under him. Those numbers and that strength... they were unbeatable.

"I propose an alliance." Joey spoke up. Seto scoffed.

"What could you possibly offer this situation. You may lead the dominant pack of the northern county, but that only brings the numbers up by maybe five hundred. I rule all of the demons. My numbers reach the thousands. It barely makes a dent." He said, bringing a hand up and squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, every body counts!" Joey shouted. "We've also got more than you think. We've been busy." Joey turned away from him. He began walking out of the room, and Mai turned to follow him.

"...Joey?" He froze. Mai and Joey both turned their heads as Seto smirked down at him.

"Serenity..." She took a step towards him but froze, and turned to Seto. He raised an eyebrow at her, surprised and amused by her submissiveness. At least she wasn't demeaning him in front of his subjects. He nodded, allowing her to move freely. She smiled and ran to her brothers arms, hugging him tightly. "Ren, I was hopin I'd see you here. They been treating you right?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Yes." She said into his chest. They parted and Seto spoke up.

"About the alliance." Joey looked at him incredulously. He had risen from his throne and had an arm outstretched to a door. "I have some propositions of my own. Follow me." He turned and walked through that door, and Serenity, Joey, and Mai followed. Once inside, they saw Seto place himself at the end of a long table. He signaled for Serenity to approach him and for the others to pull up a seat. Once Joey and Mai had taken a seat at either side of him, he pulled Serenity across his lap, leaning back and listening to her squeak on surprise.

"What the hell are ya doing?" Joey demanded as a blush flashed across Serenity's cheeks.

"Just getting comfortable." He said with a smirk. Serenity wriggled a bit, trying to find some comfort snuggling across the demons hard body. She found a position and laid her head across his chest as he stroked her hair. "Now, we're going to need to rally our forces." he began. " We also need supplies. Food, water, armor. We're going to need to hunt immediately. I'll instruct the shadow demons to wait and gather food before leaving."

"Shadow demons?" Joey asked. Seto sighed, and Serenity rubbed his shoulder, reminding him to keep calm. She was confused, but if everyone continued to talk she knew she'd figure it out, and didn't want to question the demon lord in case she angered him.

"Every demon has an element. One of ten. It is the elemental power that infuses itself with you. It's similar to being a druid: humans who ask little favors from an element and are granted short bursts of power from their guardian element. Demons are humans that asked an element for eternal powers. The element infuses itself into them driving out their soul and giving them their power and in exchange. The new demon must make a pact with the elements, making two vows to live by for the rest of their eternities, and to never ask anything from the elements again. If they break their vows, the elemental power leaves them, never to return." Seto explained.

"Then you... were once human?" Joey asked in shock.

"No, I was born a demon. Those who are born do not need pacts. We are just born soulless. Now if you don't mind, I have to feed and cloth an army." He said, getting frustrated by the questions. Serenity looked up at him in surprise. She hadn't thought to ask him any of this. " Shadow demons can travel through the shadows at incredible speeds. They would usually make it here within a few hours, but I'm going to delay them and have them gather food. That way when they arrive they'll only be a day or so ahead of the others." Seto began.

"Wait." Joey said, obviously getting an idea. Seto glared at him, waiting for the reason why he should delay his orders. "How many shadow demons are in the castle already?" Joey asked.

"Just me." Seto answered. "We're a rare breed." He said.

"How many do you have?" Seto raised an eyebrow, but tossed some numbers around in his head.

"About three hundred?" He thought out loud. Joey smirked.

"Can you get some twenty or so here now?" Seto narrowed his gaze on Joey who was smirking.

"Why?"

"You're not the only one who has to feed an army... and the king's already gathered all the food we're gonna need." Seto smirked. He didn't expect an idea like that from someone like Joey. He nodded and glanced down at Serenity, who was tucked neatly against him, smiling at her older sibling.

"I know exactly where the store houses are." Mai said, now finding a use for her in all of this.

"Then it's agreed. We meet back in two days." Seto nodded. Joey and Mai bid farewell to the demon lord and Serenity. After they had gone, Serenity followed Seto to the dining hall. There he sat at a table, and motioned for her to sit across him. He called a servant over, and turned to Serenity. She nodded sweetly to the servant before realizing it was Bryan. She shot a hesitant glance over to Seto who smirked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Well? Aren't you going to tell him what you want?" He asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice. She smiled and nodded, turning up to Bryan.

"Is there any warm soup left?" She asked cheerily. Bryan nodded and turned to Seto, swallowing hard.

"Calm down. I'm not about to hurt you." Seto said, trying to steady the boy. " Lamb." He ordered, and Bryan left. When he turned back Serenity was smiling at him. She was beautiful, obviously happy about seeing her brother and the days events as a whole. She took his breath away. They spent the rest of dinner together and Seto rose, signaling for Serenity to rise with him.

"I need to leave, to get the infiltration squad. I'll be back sometime during the day. Malik will be in charge until I return." He informed her. " Oh, and... feel free to talk," he shot a look over at Bryan " to anyone you want." He offered her a smirk and before her eyes, faded into the shadows of the room. She smiled to herself, happy to have the freedom.

* * *

><p>Malik traveled the halls looking disheveled. He made his way to Seto's study and slammed the door behind him. After finally placing himself in the seat he sighed and closed his eyes.<p>

"Looking a little rough around the edges, my lord." A sarcastic voice pierced his calmness. He didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Lana, you know you're not allowed in Seto's private study." He reminded her, landing his narrowed gaze on her. She shrugged.

"You're in charge now." She said, moving towards him and placing her hands on his shoulders. " Your rules don't have to be the same as his... My Lord." She said into his ear as she began to rub his shoulders. He quirked an eyebrow up but allowed her to continue the massage.

"What exactly are you insinuating?" Malik asked, wanting her to get to the point.

"Oh nothing at all. Obviously Seto will come back and with friends... Just that... well... nine hundred years is a long time to rule. And you are young and strong. Stronger than him." Malik had a sinking feeling in his gut, but after a moment passed, a smirk crossed his lips. He stood abruptly, startling her and making her jump back. He turned and looked down on her, smirk still plastered across his face.

"You think I could rule in his stead?" Malik grinned. She smirked up at him and walked closer, placing her hands across his chest.

"Of course. I think you're much more brilliant. You are always by his side, making all the right decisions and guiding him to his successes. You're the real leader. You should have taken his place at the top."

"And how, exactly would I manage to gain the demon colonies trust and respect should I decide to forcibly take the throne?" He asked her. She smiled and stroked his cheek with her hand.

"I believe, I can be of service to you in that regard... Your Majesty." She brushed her finger along his jaw and he chuckled.

' This will be enlightening...' He thought to himself, studying the demoness before him.

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><p>Serenity spent the day hanging out with Bryan and wandering the castle. She still hadn't been in the village just beyond the keep, but she figured she had the rest of her life to visit. She had separated from Bryan so he could deliver meals to private chambers of demons and was looking for a good window to see the village below out of. The sun had already set hours ago, but there was enough moonlight to allow her some visibility.<p>

The village was actually rather large. The surrounding castle walls held a great deal of land and there was plenty of room inside them. She even spotted two small farms within the walls. Though it was night, the streets were crowded and moving with life. It seemed the entire place was wide awake. She silently wondered if demons slept at all. Just as she was about to head back to her room, she heard a loud clang in the hall.

When she rushed over to investigate, she saw a large man, tall and muscled, holding Bryan up by the collar. His platter had been spilled over the ground and his feet barely reached the floor.

"What are you doing?" Serenity yelled, running up and grabbing at the arm that held Bryan. The man tossed her a glance, and narrowed his gaze. He dropped Bryan and yanked his arm back. He wreaked of alcohol and some other things Serenity didn't want to know about.

"You shouldn't get into things you cant deal with, mortal." The man scoffed. He raised his fist, threatening Serenity and she cowered against the wall. Before he could attack, a metal serving platter swung across his shoulder, gaining his attention. Serenity watched as Bryan then dropped the platter and took off down the hall as fast as he could. The man began to pursue him and Serenity followed.

They were heading towards the main hall, where Bryan would be able to utilize the other demons just hanging around the area as helpers to calm the angered one. Serenity noticed, though, that the man was rapidly gaining on him. Bryan might be able to just make it through to the great hall before the demon was on him, but he might injure or kill him before anyone could do anything to stop him. Serenity couldn't let that happen. She leaped at the man, intending to halt him. She caught onto his arm, slowing him and he gave an angered shout. He crushed Serenity into the wall and she cried out. She heard a loud crack as her bones broke against the cold stone. The demon had already resumed chasing Bryan, leaving her broken in the hall.

"What the hell is going on down here?" Malik screamed. He made his way to where Serenity was, just ten feet away from the entrance to the great hall. Two other demons had run too the spot as well and were restraining the one. Malik bent to Serenity who couldn't lift herself and growled. Lana bent behind him, getting close to his ear.

"You could just let her die... it's not your fault if something happens to her. And he will be blamed." she whispered nodding to the now bound demon. Malik glared up at her.

"She distracts him. I can use the diversions." He whispered hastily back, pushing her off of him. He looked up at the two demons who had tied down the angered one and nodded them over. "Get Ryou. Now." He demanded and the left quickly. Lana shook her head slowly and retreated into the great hall and out of sight.

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><p>When Serenity woke, a bright light hovered over her, momentarily blinding her. As she slowly focused she realized it was emanating from a person, rather than a torch or the sun. The being smiled down at her as she woke. She lifted herself easily and glanced down at her body as memories became clear. Her body was whole and healthy. She looked back to the glowing man. He had a kindness in his eyes that warmed her soul.<p>

"Hello, how are you feeling?" The man asked her. Aside from his glow, his appearance was unusual. He had warm brown eyes, which was normal enough, but his hair was pure white.

"I... I feel wonderful. How long has it been?" She was expecting him to say something along the lines of weeks.

"About seven hours." He said, shocking her. "I am Ryou." He extended a hand and she took it.

"I'm Serenity." She said, still in awe of her good health. "Did you do this?" She asked, looking over herself again. He smiled softly and nodded. She took another look at him and paused. "You... You're a Fey aren't you?" he nodded again.

"We specialize in healing magics." He explained. He was about to say something when the doors burst open behind him.

"Where is she?"

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**Ok, this is to the driver on I-495 just before exit 38 around 4:30 Christmas day, just in case you read this fanfic. CHECK YOUR BLIND SPOTS BEFORE SUDDENLY MERGING INTO THE NEXT LANE. Also; IF YOU ALMOST HIT SOMEONE AND CAUSE THEM TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL ALMOST HITTING A GUARD RAIL AND ALMOST CAUSING A MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT, DON'T JUST DRIVE AWAY. We're fine by the way. Thanks for _not_ asking. We only ended up skidding to a halt about 8 inches away from the bumper of the car that was behind us... facing them... you know... the wrong way … on the highway... completely stopped... **

**Oh but a real thanks to boyfriend for taking the emergency vehicle obstacle course training, otherwise our car would have flipped and we would be dead... also to the people in the cars that stopped and blocked traffic so we weren't hit by more people who weren't paying attention. Yeah... we just had a great day. **

**I hope your days went better. **

**R+R+E~L**


	8. The Ways of the World

Chapter 8: The Ways of the World

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"I'm not even gone for a whole day and something happens!" Seto yelled at Malik.

"My lo-"

"I told you to keep an eye out. It wasn't a long time Malik!"

"Sire-"

"You didn't have one hundredth of the responsibilities I do, and yo-" Serenity brushed in front of him and hugged him tightly. Seto gave Malik a glare that said 'this isn't over' and pulled one arm against Serenity.

"I'm sorry..." She squeaked after a few minutes. She felt him sigh against her. " It was completely avoidable... but I didn't..." She informed him. He looked down at her and lifted her face to his.

"Malik is responsible for everything that goes on in this castle while I'm away." He said plainly.

"Even... if I jumped him?" Seto stared at her shocked.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"He was attacking Bryan..." Seto felt his heart skip a beat and was speechless. This little nymph, his little nymph, would launch herself in the way of a raging, out of control Demon who was easily two times her size all to protect her friend... Or maybe... Bryan was more than a friend... Would she have done the same for him? Seto didn't think so. "I had to do something... He was going to kill him!" She pleaded. He closed his eyes and shook his head, sighing heavily.

"I would have preferred him be dead than you." Seto admitted, but Serenity gave him a look of horror.

"I would rather die than let anyone I care about be killed." She said to him. He smirked. She was just so different.

"Well, no one had to die today." Ryou, who had been there the entire time, interjected. Seto looked up at him.

"Yes. Thank you." He offered to the Fey. "But I need to speak to you." He finished. His face was hard and serious. Ryou nodded, and waited for the Demon lord to speak. "Your brother has joined my enemy. I need to know where your alliances are." Seto said. Serenity looked between the two. Seto was still, tall and held a blank face. Ryou looked to the ground. His eyes looked sad and darted around for a reason.

"Why?... Why did he join them? Why would he?" Seto shook his head. "My brother has always been... misled. I never thought he would go so far... He is wrong. And just because he is my brother, doesn't mean I will always be on his side. He needs to learn. And If he wont... he needs to be stopped." Ryou finished. Seto broke away from Serenity, and placed a hand on the Fey's shoulder. Ryou nodded up at him and glanced back down at the floor. His brother needed to be stopped.

…

"Where the hell is she?" Bakura winced under the kings harsh voice.

"The wolves surrounded her. There were too many, even for me." He explained. The king scowled down at him and he squeezed his eyes shut and bowed low. "I'll gather forces and go after her." He offered.

"No... No... I'll use this." The king began to smirk. "Let the public know, our beloved princess has been kidnapped by the beasts to the south." Bakura smiled, catching on.

"I'll spread the news posthaste. Your majesty is most brilliant." Bakura stood and headed for the door.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Bakura stopped and turned back to the king. "If you fail, even once more, I will destroy you with the rest of the filth." Bakura nodded slowly and continued out the door.

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><p>"My lord, we're good to go." A Demon approached Seto. He nodded and looked over the Demons before him. He began passing out four large sacks and the Demons looked at them confusedly.<p>

"These are special magical sacks of storage. They can carry many many more things than mundane means could." He demonstrated by placing a quarterstaff into one of the bags. The weapon slipped in easily, disappearing into the bag that was less than half it's length. "If they get full, you are to move back to the castle immediately. I'm going to assign five squads, one for every storehouse there is. These maps are drawn for the location of each storehouse I want you to hit." He said, passing out the maps to the Demons holding the bags. He retained one map and one bag for himself, then divided up the group making four teams four and his team of five. He looked from team leader to team leader, and turned to his own team "Go" and with that, they vanished.

"Looks... like you're in charge again." Lana's arms snaked around from behind to stroke and rub his chest. "he still trusts you." She said by his ear.

"So tell me, my little minx. How exactly should I go about removing Seto?" He asked.

"Well, obviously you start out slowly. Gain the Demon nation's trust. Make your name known. Even if it should mean destroying those who know the truth." She said quietly as they walked back to his room.

"That fool wont know what hit him." Malik said, stroking her arm and listening to her chuckle. "Though... I might need some help for now. He is much loved by the people." He glanced at her and she wrinkled her nose.

"I think I may be of assistance... It just may take a bit of time." He smirked down at her.

"That's fine. You work on that, and I'll work on making a name for myself in the upcoming battles." She smiled at him and scurried down the hall, leaving him to his own devices.

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><p>When Seto returned, they only had a few hours of night left. He was the first back, but it didn't take long for others to filter in behind him. Once everyone had returned they made for their own storehouses. It didn't take very long before everyone had finished unloading and taking inventory.<p>

"Who would have thought he had so much food." One Demon remarked.

"Or that we could carry it all." Another added. Seto smiled at the strategic victory they had just experienced. He re-entered the castle happily and was looking forward to a little relaxation when Malik approached him.

"My lord, The wolf leader is here." Seto stopped, looking confused.

"He's not supposed to be here for another day." He thought out loud. Malik shrugged and led him into the greeting hall. Joey stood with an unusually large grin across his face.

"How'd it go?" he asked. Seto smirked.

"How do you think? They'll be out of food by the end of the month." He said, shrugging it off as barely a chore. Joey nodded.

"You get enough food?" Joey asked, hopping up onto a table in the greeting hall. Seto stared at him disapprovingly, but with his good mood, he decided to let it slide.

"We've got enough to feed three times our army for six months between what we got from the king and what I've ordered the rest of the troops to get."

"Good cause we've got hungry reinforcements comin in from the north and the north west." Joey said, as if it was nothing. Seto looked at him questioningly and Joey smiled widely. "I told you. I've been busy."

"How many?" Seto demanded, trying to get an accurate count of their numbers.

"Oh, not much, maybe like... three or four hundred..." Seto shook his head. That was barely anything. " Per pack leader." Seto's eyes snapped up, locking with Joey's. "About three thousand... give or take a few hundred." He said more seriously.

"How... How did you manage that?" Seto was dumbstruck. The wolf packs would rather fight over territory than join for any cause. "How did you unite them?"

"I didn't. I just made them aware that the king wanted all of us dead and wouldn't stop til he destroyed every one of us. We've decided on a temporary truce, just until the humans are dealt with. They've agreed to pick five of us leaders to vote on what we do during the war. I'm one of em. It's not perfect, but we can take on a better ratio than just a man verses another man. And some of the tactics of the older leaders are pretty good. Who knows... maybe they will unite after this..." Joey said, more to himself.

"I'll admit, you're picking up fast on the ways of the unnatural, and can rally and speak like a war hero, but the wolves haven't been united for over three thousand years. More than three of my lifetimes. More than one hundred and fifty of yours." Seto informed him, not holding up much hope for the boy's dreams. Joey shrugged and swung his legs out under himself.

"If... it does happen... Mind givin us some pointers on how to... you know... live as a kingdom? Instead of just a bunch of packs?" Joey asked, keeping his eyes averted. He once again left Seto dumbstruck. There was something about this family... between the wolf and the nymph... They had such odd effects on him.

"I... Sure..." Joey tossed him a smile.

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><p>Serenity and Ryou walked the halls of the keep once more. He had stayed by her, making sure she healed up well and that there were no complications. They had chatted about menial things, but Ryou could tell something was pressing on Serenity's mind.<p>

"You know... You can ask me anything. I'm not here to pass judgment on you, and even if I were, I don't think there could be anything I could say to change Lord Seto's view of you." Serenity smiled sweetly to him and sighed, working up the courage to speak her mind.

"Well... It's just that I know so little about this...this whole world. A few days ago I lived as an ignorant peasant, thinking Demons and Fey were fading myths and now... I'm living with the Demons, speaking with a Fey and my brother is a werewolf..." Ryou chuckled and rubbed her back. " I guess I just don't know anything about anything..." Serenity said sadly.

"What would you like to know?" Ryou asked. Serenity looked up at him with another warm smile.

"You... you know about all the races?" Ryou chuckled again.

"Serenity, I'm nearly a thousand four hundred and twenty. I've learned all I can. Just ask."

"Demons and werewolves used to be human, right?" Ryou nodded. "What other races were once human?"

"Well, technically... all of them." Serenity's eyes widened. "Since the beginning of time, humans have sought dominance over each other. A popular way of establishing dominance was the use of magic. Unfortunately you have to have a certain set of skills for that to work. Humans with unnaturally trained souls are able to cast magic. We don't know exactly how it happens, but we Fey are keen to the ways of the soul. We have a theory that whenever a human gives up their natural soul, it is reborn into a baby. That baby has two souls, merged together. And with that the baby is given many talents."

"How does a human give up their soul?" Serenity asked in wonder.

"Well, there are a few rituals. The first would be the Demon coming ritual. Where the human makes a pact with an elemental to gain powers. Their life force is replaced with that of the elemental they deal with. The Demons believe they trade their souls for the power, but the elementals don't want souls, they want promises. With a promise, you believe in them, and with belief there is existence.

"After the Demons there are the Vampires." Serenity took a sharp breath. "They are the second most powerful race. They were humans that killed a Demon, drained it's blood and injected themselves with it. The Demon blood automatically removes the soul, and offers them powers like the strength and the speed, but rejects them the elemental traits." Serenity looked away, confused and pondering something.

"I thought Vampires turned humans..."

"That's the second way to become a Vampire." Ryou explained. "If they successfully drain a human of it's blood and separate the soul from the body, they can put their own blood into them, making another Vampire. The mix of Demon and human blood carries a few traits. One being regeneration, another being that the Demon blood is constantly killing off the human blood. They need to replenish their supply by feeding constantly."

"After the Vampires are the Dhampires. The half bloods. They were created by accident. They are humans that were put through the Vampire blood draining ritual, but were never separated from their souls. They don't live eternally like Demons and Vampires though. You see, when the soul is withing a vessel, like a body, the vessel eventually perishes. It always will and the soul will move on to a different plane of existence. If the soul is removed, it must cling to a vessel until the vessel can perish properly."

"And... what about Fey?" Serenity asked, completely absorbed in the information he had to offer her.

"We... Did something a bit different. We found the elementals... we saw them as infinite beings, a complete unity of the soul and vessel. Able to travel as corporeal and incorporeal. Spirit, and living. We tried to mimic them. To join ourselves with our souls, and we've come up with a ritual to do so. Unfortunately, the elementals were always like that, so they remain the perfect blend. With our imperfect human vessels joined to out perfect immortal souls, the combination created something less than perfect. We are still powerful in ways seemingly impossible, but... we are fragile.

"You see, we are just what we wanted, a joining of the soul and body. And with that it makes us vulnerable. A physical assault would effect us spiritually. The more wounded we are, the weaker our magics are. We can not switch between corporeal and incorporeal, and are not elementalized like the Demons, but we can heal and cause great damage with our magics. So long as we are kept safe, we can fight in ways that could rival even the demons powers. They would have to find a way to get close to us, and then the battle would be theirs. It's why the Fey fear the Demon lord so. His unique powers are our weakness." It was almost too much to take in. Serenity's head reeled from all the talk of souls and rituals and races. It was hard to believe all these creatures came from the humans desire for power.

A knock at the door shook them from their conversation and Serenity stood and smiled at the man in the doorway.

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**Hi all, sorry it took so long for me to update. Had to take my car in to the shop after that whole Christmas jackass fiasco. Thanks for all your reviews. We are fine. The cars got a few issues but my mechanic is awesome so it's not going to be a problem. **

**I hope you are all enjoying the story so far and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you as you read on. **


	9. The First Strike

**Partial lemon in the very beginning. I will warn whenever a lemon is in a chapter. **

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Chapter 9: The First Strike

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"You may leave Ryou." Seto said, dismissing the Fey. He outstretched an arm, calling Serenity to his side. She joined him, taking his arm as he guided her down the halls. She noticed that they were headed towards his personal chambers.

"You seem happy." She observed as they entered his room. He shot her a slight smile and released her, moving to his bed. He removed his cloak and laid it across a chair sitting by the side of the bed then turned back to her. He sat, beginning to remove his boots and glanced up at her.

"Our missions were successful. I wouldn't mind a little hep getting out of these though." He said, motioning to the leathers. She had noticed that they weren't the same clothes she first saw him in. These leathers were heavier, and there were more belts and clasps. Serenity bent before him, undoing some of the clasps on his chaps. After she got the hang of how they worked she felt confident that she could unbuckle them without looking, and gazed up at him. Her hands slowed as she noticed how intently he was watching her. His gaze raked over her body in a way that made her think she could actually feel it. She shivered involuntarily, closing her eyes.

A hand stroked under her chin and across her cheek as he lifted her face. She wasn't done undoing the clasps, but he didn't seem to care. He leaned forward and made her suck in air quickly and stumble backwards as she flung an arm behind her, steadying herself. He shot out his own arm, curling it behind her and tugging her against him. Bringing her with him, he rose and turned facing her back to the bed. A gentle push forced her down onto the plush covers and he hovered above her, holding himself up with each arm placed on either side of her.

She was so small and fragile beneath him. So unlike all the other Demons and even most of the humans he knew. She seemed unsure, yet willing and it got his blood pumping. He was exhausted, having been awake and active for almost three full days, but something about her energized him. He lowered himself on one side, laying next to her in the bed and watched her suck her lower lip into her mouth and run her teeth over it, letting it pop back out after just a few moments. Just the sight made his breath catch in his throat. He wanted that lip.

He moved the arm he wasn't laying on and brought her against him. A split second passed between him staring into her eyes and when he claimed her mouth, but as he did time seemed to slow. She moaned low into his mouth and he responded by kissing her more hungrily. She didn't know exactly when she was rolled onto her back again, or when he rolled over her, but she wasn't about to question him.

He was firm and gentle, just like before. Completely in control, but tender. The feeling of him against her intoxicated her and made her drunk with his presence. She had never imagined knowing such a powerful being, let alone belonging to one. He broke away and she noticed she was leaning up, her body begging him not to leave. She watched a smooth grin spread across his face and he leaned down to her.

"I've been waiting for this... ever since you first set foot in my forest..." He said, teasing the sensitive skin on her neck with his hot breath. Her eyes rolled back at the sensation and her back arched to him. It was as if he were controlling her, and all she could do is watch as he played her body like a puppet.

"Is... this another of your powers?" She barely squeaked out, unable to believe she would even know to do these things. He chuckled into her ear, sending shivers rippling down her spine.

"No, little nymph. This is all you." She turned her head towards him, finally making eye contact after what felt like forever. His eye brow raised briefly and he smiled showing his fangs. "But if you don't believe me, I can let you take control." Before she could respond he rolled, placing her on top of him. A bright blush flashed across her face and he pulled his arms above him, folding his hands behind his head.

"I... I don't know... what to do..." She said embarrassed. His smile widened.

"Try something." He ordered, still completely in control of her. She slowly leaned down and pressed her lips against his. It was soft and sweet and tender. Everything he expected from her. She could feel his smirk against her lips and pulled back. "Bolder." He demanded softly. He watched her swallow, then consider something before leaning down again. This time she passed his lips, leaving soft butterfly kisses just under his ear.

He could feel a fire burning in his chest as his head lolled back, giving her more access. He groaned through his lips and tried to control his breathing. Her kisses were soft, teasing his skin and driving him mad. His fingers dug into the covers of his bed and his eyes closed as she played with him. Her teeth scraped against his skin slightly and he gasped, snapped his eyes back open and turned to her.

"You little vampire." He said as she sucked in her lower lip once more. She bit back a playful smile and she let her teeth scrape against her lip as it slowly popped back out again. His smile was gone when his hand shot up and pulled her down to him. Nothing but lust flew through his veins as he took that lip in his mouth and scraped his own teeth against it. He ran his nails against her back, snapping the ties that kept the fabric around her torso. He was about to rip the rest of it off when his door opened suddenly.

He shot up, forcing her backwards onto his lap as he sat and glared at the door. She gasped slightly as she felt his hardness beneath her and steadied herself by placing her hands on his broad shoulders. Malik stood in the doorway looking disheveled.

"I cant get a fucking break..." Seto growled low.

"Sire, brush fires to the north. The king is trying to flush out the wolves." He reported. "and... the sun is about to rise..." Seto shot up, almost knocking Serenity off of him. She had already begun to climb off of him so was ready to catch herself. He bent, re-fastening the clasps on his leg that she had undone a few minutes before.

"How far?" He asked, walking to his cloak and tossing it over his shoulders.

"About a days walk. Sire, you cant..." Malik tried, but Seto spun on him, glaring. Malik swallowed hard, but put his foot down. "I'll gather my demons. You cant go sire. You know what the sun does to you." Seto sighed. Malik was right. It was stupid to go charging into battle with the tides turned against him. As least he knew the vampires would not be participating in this battle.

"Take Ryou." Seto commanded and Malik nodded, leaving down the hall.

"What... what does the sun do to you?" Serenity asked worriedly. He shook his head.

"Nothing... ordinarily." He paused staring out the window. He could already see the sky lightening and far off in the distance, a pillar of smoke. "But if I'm injured..." He turned to her. " My blood... if the sun's light touches my blood, it burns and in large quantities explodes." Serenity gasped.

"Then why is it safe for Malik to go?" She asked, now worrying about him.

"His element is light. They are the only type that does not bear that trait." Seto explained, feeling useless. "I should be out there..." Serenity came up from behind him and hugged him.

"You're a good leader... you cant take that sort of risk if there's another option that's better." She said, trying to calm him. He watched as a small group of his demons led by Malik made their way north. She sighed frustratedly and slammed his fist against the window's ledge, making Serenity jump. She thought for a moment, then glanced up at him with an idea in mind. "Eadenburg!" He glanced down at her, wondering where she was going with this."The townspeople have dealt with fires many times and can help put them out, and you can watch and lead from there. You'll be safe and closer to your men." She explained. His head shot back to the forest judging the distances and tossing thoughts around before he nodded.

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><p>"Sir! We need to put out these fires!" A demon yelled. Malik pulled his fist out of an attacking archer and turned to his men. A few had slight wounds, but they were all fine.<p>

"Get the attention of the wolves! They know the area best. Get them to feed water from the river into the flames." Malik ordered. The demon nodded and left but before much could happen he noticed someone throw a bucketful of water into the fire. He turned and saw a few dozen people, humans, with large heavy blankets and buckets of water. They fell on the flames. All focusing on the same spot, they quickly made a hole in the wall of flames for the demons to pass through. Malik glanced back towards the town and saw where the reinforcements came from.

Seto nodded back to him, retreating slowly towards the town and leaving command in his hands. Malik dashed thorough the flames, following his men and continued to assault.

When Seto made it back, Serenity was aiding in getting water out of the well for the next man to get and use against the fire. Once the extra buckets were filled and all the men started back into the woods, she lifted two buckets herself and began towards the north. Seto grabbed her arm, halting her advance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To help! Where else?" Serenity answered him. He refused to let go and she looked up at him worriedly.

"It's too dangerous." He took one of the buckets and walked her back to the well, placing the bucket next to the others and keeping firm grip on her. "I don't want you out of my sight." He said and she huffed.

"These are my people... I gave everything for them..."

"Yes, and you've given enough. It's my job to protect them now." He held her close to him, forcing her to drop the bucket she was clutching. "It's what I promised to pay to get you." He smirked down at her and she felt a smile forming across her own lips.

"Didn't you say it yourself? You already had me." She said to him. He sighed and wondered why the townspeople hadn't returned for more water yet.

They separated briefly and Seto gazed along the northern forest line behind Serenity. He still didn't see anyone coming back for more water and looked back down to Serenity. Her smile had faded, her face paled and she looked as if she was trying to say something. She looked terrified.

Seto's body tensed and he turned suddenly, but by the time he faced the south, the blade had come down.

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**Woot cliffie. Hope this makes up for my lateness with the last chappie.**


	10. Things That Matter Most

Chapter 10: Things That Matter Most

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Seto fell to his knees. His body refused to move out of some sort of shock or surprise, but even if he could move, his senses were completely thrown off. After what felt like a few minutes he could hear a light ringing in his ear, then something woke him from his trance. A scream. A woman's scream... Serenity's scream. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the burnt blood out of them and charged the man ahead of him.

His sword had been raised to finish the demon lord, but it never made it down in time. Seto grabbed the arm holding the sword and ripped it off of the man. He twisted the mans head to the side until he could hear a crack and the body went limp. He felt a hand on his injured shoulder and whipped around and grabbed it. Serenity cried out, more in surprise than pain and Seto released her and looked back down at the man.

Her fingers pulled the marred leather down over his shoulder to inspect his wound. Some of the blood that had been safe under the leather began to sizzle and she could see him flinch. His muscles in his arm tensed and his fist balled under the pain. Serenity ripped off some of her dress and dipped it into a bucket of water. She brought it up and wiped the burning blood off of him, cleaning his shoulder. He peered down at her and she tossed him a smile and blushed as she continued to clean him. He tilted his head giving her more access to his neck where the burns climbed him.

A noise pierced his senses and he reacted without thinking. He yanked Serenity in front of him, shielding her with his body and glanced over his shoulder. She began to look up at him when an arrow struck the well she was standing in front of.

"Get inside. Hide somewhere." He ordered as he took off in the direction the arrow came from. She rushed into her house and ran to the bedroom. Pushing Joey's bed a few feet from the wall, she uncovered the loose floorboards underneath where they used to hide while playing hide and seek when they were young. She slid the floorboards up and off to the side, and placed herself in the hole facing up. He used what strength she could to move the bed back against the wall, and finished by sliding the planks over herself again.

The archer was found easily and Seto used the shade from the forest to utilize his powers and close the distance between them. He finished the archer easily and searched the area.

"Heh, looks like the demons came to the rescue, huh?" Seto shot his head up and eyes the boy before him. A smirk played across his lips and he straightened. Joey laughed. "Looks like I'mma see what a demon can do." Seto's smirk remained on his face as he turned towards the fire.

"Let's go."

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><p>The wolves, full shifted and hybrid, surrounded the townspeople. There were still feint sounds of battle in the distance. The demons were rounding back and the guards that had captured the citizens of Eadenburg didn't have much time left.<p>

"Get back or we kill them all!" One screamed. There were five guards. Two archers who's bows pointed out to the wolves that circled them and three armed combatants. A few of the wolves halted, no longer circling but still watching. One launched itself at an archer, determined to strike before the arrow could fly. A white and tan wolf knocked the red-brown hybrid out of the air, but the damage had been done. Arrows took flight, missing the wolves, but the blades of the combatants came down, one against the wolves and two into the crowd of innocents.

The townspeople screamed and the wolves attacked. The battle seemed to slow as the white and tan wolf shifted into a blonde girl. She walked straight through the brawl to the injured people and fell before them. Out of her peripherals, she could see the wolves destroying the guards and the townspeople beginning to scramble. Only three people remained next to her. The first two were the slaughtered woman who had been obviously pregnant and what seemed to be her husband holding her and cradling her.

The last, was an older man, not yet dead from the slash of the blade that brought him down. It appeared that the most recent assault opened an older wound across him and he was losing blood quickly.

"...Grandpa..." Rebecca whispered, trying to lift him.

"Re... Rebecca? Is... is it really..." He cringed as his broken torso was bent forward and she froze, trying not to injure him more. He strained himself, trying to lift his hand and touch her. She aided him and grasped his hand, crying softly into it. "Where... where have you been?" He asked, his voice beginning to fail him.

"I'm so sorry grandpa... I wanted to see you before... I just didn't... I didn't know if you would accept me now." She said, hugging him. He patted her back with what strength he could muster and smiled.

"There is nothing that would ever make me reject you Rebecca. I'm just... glad you... you're... ok." He coughed a bit and winced at the pain it caused him.

"I... I'm a werewolf... I have been for a while. I'm in a pack now. They're like a family to me. We take care of each other. We... Joey's leading us now... he was turned too." She said, trying to catch him up. To her surprise he smiled at her.

"I'm so proud of you... I'm proud of you both... Rebecca... I love you..." His head lolled back and Rebecca began to panic. She lifted him and shook him a little, trying to make him wake.

"Grandpa!... Grandpa! No!" She carefully placed him down and rose. Her whole body trembled and she turned towards the battle ahead of her. The guards were finished, but she could hear more to the north and north west. Her body grew and shifted, taking it's hybrid form and she let out a blood curdling roar as she charged forward.

Malik had bent over one of the light demons he had brought with him. He had two blade wounds to the leg and a dagger was still protruding out of his chest. He was alive but not for much longer.

"Where the hell is Ryou?" Malik demanded, not leaving his man's side. He could see a slight glow as a white haired man approached from south of them and visibly relaxed. A snapped twig alerted him to someone's approach from behind and he spun to see what it was. A single man launched himself at the unsuspecting demon and Malik knew he had no time to react. Before he could blink a white hybrid wolf with a tan back and tail took the the man out mid leap. The wolf viciously ripped at the mans head clenched between her teeth. She flashed a quick glare at the demon who locked eyes with her. Malik swallowed hard and nodded as Ryou finally bent to assist the injured demon. Lightening fast, she was off again, her next target in sight.

"Malik." Seto's voice called. Malik felt his whole body freeze.

"My... my Lord, what are you doing here... You're injured..." He observed.

"The wolves are finishing the king's men off, the fire's done being put out, and our men need to get home and rest up. I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going to help the townspeople." Seto started towards the town, but paused. "Good job."

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><p>"Where is she?" Set demanded from the villagers.<p>

"We've checked everywhere, we cant find her..." One reported. Seto's heart began to race. They couldn't have gotten her. There was no way... Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd that had filtered in behind him. He turned as everyone's attention was on Joey. He walked through the crowd, shooting smiles and uncomfortable greetings to the people who thought him dead.

"What's up." He asked Seto once he made it to him.

"I... we cant find your sister." Joey's smile disappeared.

"Where was she, last you saw?"

"I asked her to hide. To get inside while I dealt with the kings men." Joey burst out laughing. Seto didn't seem nearly as amused.

"I gotcha." Joey started towards a house and Seto followed. The villagers kept a good distance away, but did follow as well. "This is ...was my place." Joey explained. He moved into the room off to one side. Seto looked around. It was severely plain. Crude furniture and cookware lined the room. The cabinets were poor quality and the very walls of the place looked as if they were about to cave in with barely a gust of wind. He moved into the other room Joey had already gotten into, and noticed it was her bedroom.

His eyes lingered over her bed and traced the rooms edges to where Joey easily flung a second bed out from the wall. Seto moved to get a better look under where the bed used to be and watched as Joey ripped open the floorboards and slowly revealed a smiling Serenity. He reached down and helped her out of the hole. Seto felt himself be able to breath again.

"How did it go?" She asked. Joey shook his head.

"We lost a few of ours." He said, absently turning towards the northern forest. "We've got some of us taking care of them, and there were only a few... but..." Serenity hugged him and he turned to Seto. "How about you?"

"One major injury, but we'll be all healed up by tomorrow." He said. "I've got to check on the town." He began out the door and Serenity and Joey followed him. Once outside the town seemed more relaxed. They greeted Serenity and stared warily at Joey. Seto moved to the center of the crowd and got their attention. "I need to know if anyone's injured and I need a headcount in case we need to go out looking for anyone." He called and the towns people began talking amongst themselves and dividing into two groups, one healthy and one injured.

"Uh... My Lord..." One of the peasants approached him. Seto nodded to him and he continued. "We've finished the head count. We're missing three people." He reported. Seto growled and started for the forest but only made it about ten paces when he saw something leaving the treeline.

"It's Sean and … Oh my god, Millie!" Two people rushed forth and took Millie's fallen form from the man.

"Who else-" Seto began but was cut off by a scream. He watched a large hybrid white and tan werewolf carrying a broken man enter the village. "Calm down, the wolves are my allies. They wont hurt you." Seto said, approaching the wolf. When he got close, it growled at him and he paused.

"Becca... I'm so sorry." Joey said, approaching her. He took Arthur from her and placed him carefully down as she shifted to her human form.

"Is... is that Rebecca?" One woman called out. Rebecca fell to her knees in front of her grandfather. The town buzzed with the happenings of the day and the mysterious appearance of two former townspeople. Sean stalked over to Rebecca, lifting her roughly.

"Who was that wolf?" He demanded. "They said not to attack and it did! They weren't going to hurt us." He yelled. Serenity ran t stop him and tugged on his arm, but Rebecca silenced her before words could leave her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop them..." Rebecca apologized. He dropped her looking sickened and turned on Seto, ignoring Serenity and brushing her off. He grabbed the demon lord by the torn vest he wore and tried to lift him in intimidation. The lord rose a bit but not off the ground. The entire town let out a gasp and took a step back, expecting the worst, but Seto just watched him.

"And you! You were supposed to protect the town! You're supposed to defend us. Why have we given ourselves to you? Why are you even here?" he yelled into Seto's face.

"You're alive aren't you?" Seto started getting offended, but Sean wouldn't let him continue.

"Pah! You call this alive? What the hell is the meaning of existence when everything you've ever cared about is taken from you? I don't have money! I don't have nice things! But none of that mattered!... I had a wife... and...I was going to have a baby..." The man broke and released him, crumpling before him in a mess as depression took over his rage. Serenity knelt beside him. She hadn't known them as closely as some of the other villagers, but it was hard not to know them at all in such a small town. She looked up, trying to find some sort of way to calm both him and Seto. Seto looked over the remains of Sean's family and frowned. This town was his. These people were his people now, and he didn't do everything he could.

"I failed you... I'm sorry." He apologized. His voice re-kindled the flame of rage inside Sean and he threw Serenity from him.

"Get off of me you traitor." He spat. Serenity froze. "If you'll excuse me," He said in a mock nicety to Seto. "I need to bury my wife." He stood and turned, picking up Millie's body and moving towards the north east.

"...Traitor?" Serenity's voice whispered over the dead silence of the town. Seto took her hand and guided her to him. He embraced her as she began to quietly sob. The rest of the town stared in shock as their most feared nightmare hugged and tenderly caressed Serenity before them. Joey growled and began after Sean, but Rebecca blocked him.

"No Joey, let him mourn in peace." She said, hugging him and halting him.

"He didn't have to do that." He said through gritted teeth.

"No... but he needs to grieve. Let him." Rebecca said before pulling away and turning to her grandfather. Joey walked forward, lifting Arthur, and turned to Rebecca.

"I'll help you... He was like a grandfather to me too." He said. Rebecca nodded and followed him.

"Serenity... You're not a traitor. He doesn't believe it either." Solomon said, approaching the girl. "We know you gave everything... And... Thank you... Demon Lord." His eyes landed on Seto's. "Without your help, more would probably have perished." Seto nodded to him.

"Hey... This battle is over now." He whispered to Serenity. She pulled away a bit and wiped the water out of her eyes. "Lets go home."

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**Lots of stuff happening all around huh? Well, that concludes another chappie. I'll update soon, and hey, don't be shy, write me a review, tell me what you think.**


	11. Needs of the Flesh

**LEMON WARNING- The whole chapter. There I did it. don't like lemons? don't read.**

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Chapter 11: Needs of the Flesh

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Seto flopped down on his bed, completely exhausted from the last few days. The sleep deprivation was really getting to him, and now that he had a moment to rest, he was happily taking advantage of it. His eyes slowly closed as his breathing slowed. He didn't care to undress, or even get into the bed. He was more than comfortable just laying atop it. He heard the door shift open, but didn't feel like opening his eyes and acknowledging the person trying to rid him of his sleep. He heard a soft sigh and the door begin to close when he decided to speak up.

"What do you want little nymph?" He called with his eyes still closed. Serenity froze. She had thought he was asleep. She entered and closed the door behind her.

"I... was just checking on you." His eyes finally opened and he turned his head towards her. "Do you ever sleep?" She asked. The same question had crossed his mind only a few moments prior. He chuckled and she approached him. "You'll get blood and dirt on your bed." She said disapprovingly, then turned for the door. "One moment." And she slipped out, leaving him feeling suddenly cold and alone. She was back only a few minutes later, but it seemed like forever.

"Let me see." She said, sitting on the bed next to him and inspecting his shoulder under the leathers. He watched her silently, too tired to really move, but enjoying her presence. She unbuckled his vest and slipped it off of him, moving him as minimally as possible. Before long a knock on the door interrupted them.

Seto rolled his eyes. 'The entire universe just want's to exhaust me to death...' he thought as he growled. Serenity laughed and rubbed his arm.

"I'm beginning to think you answer the door that way." She giggled. "Don't worry, I called for it." She got up leaving him confused on the bed. The door opened but he couldn't see what was behind it. Serenity remained in the doorway, doing something and when she finally walked back into the room, she had a few cloths and a basin of water. She placed them on the nightstand and dipped a cloth into the water.

After wringing out the cloth she brought it over to his wound.. He flinched as she patted it, and she slowed, but continued. She rinsed and went back again, this time closer to the more serious part of his injury. He sucked in a quick breath and his muscles tensed. His head was turned away and his eyes were closed when he finally breathed out.

"Why... didn't you call Ryou?" She asked, not wanting to hurt him.

"He's working on people who need it more." He responded through gritted teeth. He flinched again as she washed more dried blood off of him. Something else touched his shoulder. It wasn't the cloth, and it didn't hurt. He tilted his head back to her and felt his breath catch. She had kissed his tender skin. He watched as she brought the cloth back up, rub the marred flesh then bend and kiss it again. She repeated this a few times before she looked up at him. A bright pink blush crossed her cheeks and she smiled sweetly to him.

He leaned forward on his bad arm and cupped her chin in his hand as she bent to kiss his wound again. He tugged her down onto him, unable to support his own weight on his injury, and kissed her. She hovered above him, unsure of what to do or say and he smiled.

"Serenity, I want you. Now. Before someone else comes to stop me." He pulled her down again and kissed her passionately. He rolled her over him, positioning them side by side on the bed so that his hurt shoulder was elevated, and used the arm that was under her to press her against him. He continued to kiss her as his free hand roamed her body. His fingertips were rough against her soft skin, making her tingle and shiver at his touch.

Be began to gather her skirt, lifting it and uncovering her pale soft legs. His fingers traced from her ankle up to her thigh and she gasped against his mouth. His hands caressed her smooth body and cupped her buttocks. Her hips jerked into him and he groaned, breaking his mouth from hers. He opened his eyes and she was looking at him with wonder and what seemed to be a little fear.

A smirk played across his lips and she swallowed hard. He leaned down, planting gentle kisses along her collar bone and pressing himself against her. She could feel his hardness against her and gasped.

"S-Se...Lord Seto..." She gasped out. His eyes linked with hers. "I... I've never..." She didn't know the exact words to say, but he could understand all the same.

"I figured as much." He said gently, smiling at her nervousness. He nuzzled his cheek against hers, taking in a deep breath and becoming intoxicated with her scent. He kissed her shoulder, fidgeting with the fabric covering her. He had to take her now. Before someone could interrupt them. Before she could say no... The strings on the back of her dress were still snapped from earlier that morning, leaving little more than pulling them out and slipping the dress down off of her. He tugged out those broken strings and slipped the dress down over her shoulders. She gasped and clutched the fabric to her chest, more out of instinct than anything.

Seto looked over her creamy perfect skin as her shoulders and back were completely exposed. He was eager to see the rest of her, hiding underneath those awful confining clothes. He mashed his lips against hers, pulling her against him hard, and removed her arms from her chest. He pulled the fabric down, still kissing her, and ran his fingers over her stomach and up to her breast. She whimpered at his cold touch and he pulled away, breaking the kiss and giving her some distance.

His eyes glazed over her, taking in the sight of his precious little nymph. She was magnificent. A tiny woman, looking up at him with wide, innocent kind eyes. He had complete power over her. He could make her moan and ache for him. His blood rushed as the thought of him making her scream out his name crossed his mind. He wanted to take her. To make her scream for him. To shatter her world. He wanted her, and now.

He lifted himself, whipped the rest of the dress off and rolled onto her. Sitting up, he unfastened the clasps around his hips, and down the rest of his legs, then kicked off the chaps. His eyes never broke from her. He couldn't tear his gaze away. She was the only thing he wanted to look at. All day, every day. His lips turned upwards into a smile as he watched her eyes wander his body. He knew it was the first time she had seen a man naked and enjoyed her wonder and curiosity.

Her breathing halted as her eyes landed on a certain part of him. Serenity turned her head up and looked at him with widened eyes. Her blood began to speed out of control. Was she really about to do this? Was she going to give herself to someone she had only known for a few days? A demon she had only just begun to believe in? He was real enough, and he was... big. Something in her brain panicked as he began to lower himself onto her.

"W-wait!" She cried, just before their skin touched. He froze completely, looking at her as his smile faded. "I... I don't think... I can do this..." She heard the fabric beneath her ruffle as his fists clenched handfuls of it around her.

"God... damn it Serenity, you're literally killing me." He said, dipping his head low. He knew if he waited too long she would probably ask him to stop. He had just been stunned by the beauty of her naked form. He waited too long. Seto rolled off her, flopping next to her on the bed and sighed angrily. Her eyes wandered his form again and she felt horrible. Suddenly a thought came to mind. Something Millie said when she was at work in the bar. The reason she hadn't been pregnant sooner...

A sudden sensation caused Seto to jump and fling his head back as he gasped loudly. He looked down at himself confusedly and his eyes widened as he watched her take him into her mouth. It was the last thing he expected from this innocent girl, but the feeling...

"Ah!... Oh..." His hands buried themselves into the covers below him and he jumped and twitched at the movements of her mouth. As she picked up a rhythm, his hips jerked into her. He no longer had any control, but he didn't care. Her fingers curled around the base of him, what she couldn't fit into her mouth, and he jerked again. "Oh... God..." Air hissed out of his clenched teeth and his breathing became rugged. "Ugh, Serenity!" He almost yelled as her tongue flicked him. Where had she possibly learned this? He didn't care. She moved faster, now more sure of her motions and his body twisted and tensed.

"Uh! Oh... Fuck..." He had jumped to pull her off of him, moving quickly and brushing her back before spilling all over her naked chest. His attempt to keep her clean had failed, but he was too weak to do anything about it. The arm that had pulled her away dropped limply to the bed and he could do nothing but try to regain his breath. His eyes opened warily and he watched as she looked at herself, turned and began to clean herself in the basin of water.

"Serenity..." Seto called. She looked at him shyly and held the cleaning cloth over her. "I will have you. It's going to happen. I only stopped out of respect for you, but eventually, you will give in. You're mine." He said through heavy breaths. She smiled down at him and lifted her dress, frowning at the condition of the garment. "Serenity." Seto called again. When she looked up he motioned for her to come to him. She slowly approached, trying to cover as much of herself as possible. He pulled back the blankets, allowing her to crawl under, then climbed under himself.

He spooned her, bringing her naked body flush against his, and slowly drifted into sleep, surrounded by her intoxicating scent. Serenity smiled to herself, feeling his arm around her and his chest against her back and his legs tangled in hers. She felt...safe.

"Mine..." He whispered as she began to succumb to the same sleep that was claiming him.

* * *

><p>"Hey, you ok?" Joey startled the girl and she jumped, almost falling off of her seat. He steadied the chair and helped her regain balance.<p>

"This was all my fault." She said, clutching something to her.

"What are ya talking about?" He asked, trying to get a good view of what it was. She held the paper out to him and he glazed over it. And handed it back. "I cant read." He said, looking a bit ashamed.

"It's a letter from one of my ladies in waiting. The town criers and notary boards have claimed that you... the werewolves kidnapped me. The town guards came out to burn the forest down because of me..." The princess looked up at him with sorrow in her eyes.

"This isn't your fault. He would have found another reason to try this crap, and you know that." He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his stare. " It's not your fault." He repeated and she finally nodded.

"I... Wish... I wish I was never born a princess." She admitted and Joey looked down at her sympathetically. "I wish I was from your town." She finished. Joey smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Town, rank, nobility... royalty... none of that matters now that you're here with us." He said. She looked up at him and he continued his warm smile. He took a step back when she rose from the seat, but she reached up to his shoulder, holding him in place. One of her hands slipped under his arm, gently wrapping around his back while the other traveled from his shoulder to the back of his neck.

She pressed herself against his naked torso, his shirt having ripped off during his transformation though his pants remained in rags on him. She moved to place her lips on his, but he suddenly turned away.

"Oh... I... I'm sorry... I didn't... I'm an idiot." She pulled back as Joey's head snapped back to her. "I just thought...never mind."

"No, no that's not it Mai. You don't know... If... even a kiss... You'll turn. Being a werewolf... It's a disease. A magical disease. I don't know the most of it, but what they told me... was blood, spit... other... fluids... they'll turn you. A bite... A kiss, hell even if I accidentally bleed on ya... you might turn." He tried telling her. She closed her eyes and shook her head. He waited until her eyes met his again, but by then, it was too late. She grabbed him, pushing her lips against his and hugged him close.

"It's worth it..." She said as she pulled back. He stared at her with wide eyes and she smiled. She cocked her head and moved to him again. This time he expected her kiss, but what he didn't expect was her tongue sneaking into his mouth. He groaned a bit as she pushed him against a tree, kissing him and stroking his chest. When they broke apart again, she chuckled. "What a way to turn..." She said, smiling up at him. He gave a short laugh and brought her back to him.

She was definitely used to getting what she wanted.

* * *

><p>"Your leading the forces against the king's first strike and the praises from the demon lord really got the demon nation talking about you. I'll admit, you're good." Lana's hands traced Malik's chest. She bit her lower lip seductively as she propped herself on top of his sitting form.<p>

"I told you, I'm ready to lead. I just need to take care of a few things first." He said and she smiled. She slipped off of him, onto the floor and knelt before him. She tugged at his trousers and he allowed his head to fall back as his eyes closed. He was going to enjoy this.

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**Wow, super lemon chappie. Everyone gets laid. Sort of... I wont be too surprised to see no reviews for this chappie lol. **


	12. Emotional Play

Chapter 12: Emotional Play

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When Serenity woke, the sun had already set. She wasn't in her room, and she wasn't wearing anything. Her mind began to panic. She jumped up, clutching the comforter to her body and looked around. After a second or two, she realized who's room this was. He was nowhere to be seen but a beautiful dress had been draped at the bottom of her bed. Her fingers stroked the fabric. It was soft and silky to the touch. She began to lift it and look at it when a knock at the door startled her.

"Hello." A female voice called.

"Uh, he's not here." Serenity responded. The woman laughed and revealed herself. It was the demoness from before. The one that had been mean to her in her own room the first night she was there.

"Of course he's not, he sent me here to help you get dressed." The demoness looked her up and down and tossed her a smirk. "Fulfilling your proper roll I see." She said tauntingly. Serenity blushed and watched her circle the bed, then lift the dress. "Well come on." She said, waving the dress and waiting for Serenity to get up.

Serenity scooted to the edge of the bed and rose, still clinging to the covers.

"Oh come on now, I've got all the same piece9s." She looked Serenity up and down again. "And a lot more of them than you do." Serenity peered over the demonesses body and then her own. It was true, the demoness had many curves, exaggerated in all the right places while next to her, Serenity looked like a plank. The demoness chuckled and brushed a hand through her long black hair. Her deep green eyes fixated on Serenity as her amusement made itself well known.

"What... did you mean... proper roll?" Serenity asked, stepping into the dress as the demoness pulled it up around her.

"You really cant be serious. Sex, little nymph. Sex." She said mockingly. Serenity frowned. "What did you think you were here for?" She asked, and Serenity couldn't find an answer. "The lord, it seems, has gotten quite tired of traditional beauty... but when you've had so much of it... well." She left the last part unfinished as she turned Serenity and began lacing up the sides of the dress.

"So much..." Serenity didn't want to understand what she was hearing.

"Love, you honestly don't think you're the first." She said, trying to keep herself from laughing.

"I hadn't really thought about it." The demoness did laugh this time.

"Honey, He's been around for over nine hundred years. He's been around the block quite a few times. You're not his first time. You're not his first human. Even if you turn, you wont be his first demoness. He's had all of his firsts. You're just sating his need for a new body. He'll grow tired of you yet. Who knows. Maybe after a few months, maybe he'll turn you and have you for fifty years..." She said, finishing the ties.

"He... He wouldn't..." Serenity turned back to face her.

"Where do you think I came from darling?" She asked, smirking. She walked past the shocked Serenity and out the door. Serenity nervously flattened the dress against herself, then after a few moments, turned and walked out into the hall.

* * *

><p>"The farthest fire, water, earth, light and darkness demons are eleven days out. The airs are nine days and the shadows are five. We've already got around four hundred who've shown up and we're beginning to run out of room." Malik informed Seto. He smiled up at his young adviser.<p>

"Get David." Seto instructed. Malik's jaw dropped. David was in charge of housing and citizen placement.

"Sire... even if we were to move the towns people around, we only have enough space for about a thousand three hundred people. That's about a fifth of our army's size." Seto chuckled.

"How long have you been here, a demon, Malik?" Seto asked. Malik looked confused but answered his lord.

"About a hundred and eighty years, Sire." He answered, trying to understand.

"Then you've never experienced war in the demon nation. There's a reason the royal family stays in this castle, beyond the fact that it's right along the river." Seto stood and glanced out his window to the south. Malik left out the door and returned a little later with another demon in tow.

"Sire?" David bowed low.

"I think you know why I asked for you. The troops are coming and I need you to perform the military housing operations." Seto said to the demon.

"Of course, your majesty. I'll gather the earth demons right away and begin the evacuation training courses." David bowed again and excused himself.

"The... earth demons? And evacuation training?" Malik wasn't sure what he was hearing, but retreating, to him, was not an option.

"My father created it during the vampiric wars. Back then the vampires and werewolves were allies. The wolves would attack during the day, and the vampires at night. We needed to come up with a better tactic. My father had the earth demons burrow down into the land below. They created a series of intertwined caverns and hardened the walls around them. There is a city below this one, it stretches from the northern walls of this caste all the way to the river to the south. It can house at least ten thousand." Malik's eyes widened as he took everything in.

"How come... You've never told me of this." He asked, sincerely hurt that he wasn't informed.

"The need never arose." Seto shrugged,not noticing the pain in Malik's eyes. "Now, inform the public that the first to move underground are the darkness demons, the earth demons, the fire demons and the shadow demons. I'll expect you to be leading the above ground surveillance during the days. You're the only one I can trust to do it." Seto said, landing a warm gaze on his friend. Malik looked away.

"Are you sure it's not just because I'm a light demon?" Seto smiled at him.

"Yes, but it does help." Malik relaxed a little, but kept a cold exterior.

* * *

><p>Serenity wandered the halls, thinking over what the demoness had said to her. It made sense. Many couldn't remain faithful to the same person for forty years, let alone nine hundred. They get sick of each other. And what was she thinking, faithful... She barely knew this demon. He didn't need to remain faithful to her, she belonged to him.<p>

Serenity wondered if she was bound to only be with him, or if she was allowed to do the same. She couldn't imagine a life without love and she couldn't imagine loving a man that would trap her into this servitude, at least until he was finished with her. She continued, lost in thought, until she bumped into something, or rather, someone.

"Hey, Serenity... you... you look really nice." Bryan said as he helped steady her. A faint blush crept across her face. Bryan was sweet. He had always been kind to her.

"Oh, thank you... and sorry, I guess I wasn't looking where I was going." She looked down and shifted her feet.

"No problem, none at all. Actually, would you like to come with me to the mess hall? I haven't eaten yet." He offered her his arm and she took it happily.

They chatted as they made their way to the mess hall, but were interrupted by a demon taking hold of Serenity's free arm.

"You know," Malik said, Pulling them apart. "If the demon lord sees you together like that, I'm not sure if I could control him. He's barely comfortable letting you talk to each other." He said and Serenity looked away.

"What does it matter, eventually he'll tire of me..." She didn't know how she felt as the words left her. Empty maybe. Used- definitely.

"What?" Malik looked at her disgustedly. "You... ugh." He rolled his eyes.

"It's true isn't it? He'll treat me nice now, but then he'll get sick of me and move on... wont he?" Malik sighed heavily. It was true, it had happened many times over the years. Many humans, demons and even fey had come and gone.

"Maybe." He answered. "the only thing I know for sure, is that if he loses his temper, I'm going to have to deal with it. Then you'll have to deal with him and me." He warned. "No, go to him, he's been asking for you." Serenity looked over to Bryan and gave him a sad smile.

"Some other time?" She asked and he nodded. Malik sighed and turned down a hallway, leaving her to find the demon lord on her own time. She tried his room, but when it was empty began to wander again.

"Sire, the pathways are completely unearthed and the hallways are being cleared now. The space should be usable by tomorrow." Serenity heard around the corner.

"Good work. How are the evacuation classes going?" Seto's voice asked. She rounded the corner and peered into an open door, able to see Seto talking to another man.

" We've trained sixty others to teach the population the drills and show the district authorities where to take the people in case of emergency."

"Excellent." Seto's eyes finally found their way to Serenity and he cleared his throat. "Um, if there isn't anything else..." The demon bowed, taking the hint and nodded to Serenity as he left.

"You... were looking for me?" She said, bashful as ever. He motioned her closer and she moved to him. He took a seat behind a large desk, Serenity standing next to him once he was settled, and looked up at her. Her face had some emotion in it, but he couldn't discern what. She was shy and sweet as usual, very respectful, but there was something else.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?" She said absentmindedly, but he saw right through it.

"There's something bugging you, and I want to know what it is."

"No, really-" Seto slammed one fist into the table. His face remained plain, but Serenity jumped at the motion. "... Why am I here?" Seto's eyes narrowed.

"You... trespassed... into my forest." He said, acting as if maybe she had come down with amnesia.

"Why didn't you kill me?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you want to-"

"Why?" She wasn't about to let him avoid the question again. He let his hand fall to his mouth and rest there while he studied her.

"I... don't know." He replied honestly. "I cant kill you. I mean, I'm strong enough, I just cant bring myself to do it. I find myself forced to do things you want me to do. Not attacking when I knew I should have... Not punishing people who should be punished... You've been controlling me. And that's dangerous." He said, now both hands folded in front of his mouth. "I have thought about removing you, so I can act properly, but for some reason, I just cant do it."

"You... You've tried?" She took a step back, looking at him in horror.

"No, the second the thought crosses my mind it's like my whole body freezes up. I don't do well when I'm not in control Serenity." Even the act of saying her name made his blood rush.

"I... I'm not trying..." Seto waved a hand dismissively.

"I know. Tell me to do something. Something I wouldn't normally do." He said, testing her.

"That's my other problem." He rose an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. "I don't even know you. I don't know what you would or wouldn't do. What you like or dislike... You're... practically a stranger." She said, trying not to sound too harsh. A light flickered out of his eyes and they suddenly seemed colder.

"That may be true, but if so, you're pretty loose with the strangers you meet." He said venomously. She gasped and took another step back, now angered as well as scared.

"... I didn't think I had a choice." Tears made their way to the edge of her eyelids. At those words he stood, towering over the small girl.

"Had a choice? I stopped. I backed off. You went on. It was entirely your choice." He slowly moved towards her with every angry statement. She nearly tripped over herself trying to escape him and ended up finding the wall behind her.

"I... I..." She choked out through sobs. "I was afraid!" She finally managed. He stopped advancing, taking in her trembling form. " You were so upset, and everyone says you have such a bad temper, and I've seen you kill... You think I have control over you, but you're wrong. I belong to you. I'm just a thing... a toy... Something you're going to play with, get bored with and be done with!" Her hands were clenched in front of her, her head bowed low while she was avoiding his eyes, and her body was as far from him as it could get. Her words shocked him. all the anger disappeared and was replaced with confusion and... worry. He didn't want to emotionally blackmail the girl.

And the way she shook from fear of him. This isn't what he wanted. He raised a hand, trying to cup her face and bring her eyes to his, but she flinched violently away. His hand curled back to him as his eyes darted around trying to think of something to do or say. It was tearing him apart to have this woman trembling and crying out of terror.

"Who-who told you this? Who put these ideas in your head?"

"What does it matter? It's true isn't it?" She said with a quivering voice.

"It was Lana wasn't it?" Serenity's red puffy eyes finally met his. "The demoness who helped you this morning." She slowly nodded. "Lana's a bitter bitch. don't listen to anything she says."

"Isn't... Isn't that how she came here?" Seto barked out a laugh.

"That vixen tried to seduce me to gain the throne. She got me for a few weeks, but I found out her plan quickly and promptly left her. She's bitter and upset that a human's coming closer to ruling than she-" his frustrated features turned blank as he stopped himself and turned away. "Just don't listen to her."

" A human's coming-"

"We're done arguing about this." He left the room before another word could be said. Serenity didn't know what to think. Was it just a slip of the tongue? Was it his way of teasing Lana behind her back by saying a human he barely knew had a better shot than her? Serenity figured it was... But still... She couldn't quite rule out the possibility that he really meant it.

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**So hows the story turning out? I hope you're all enjoying this.**

**Also I drew a picture of Seto and Serenity from this fic (I know, I'm suck a dork) It's when he pulled her onto his lap in front of Joey. I think It turned out well. If any of you want to try to CG it or clean it up a little, drop me a message or add it into a review and I'll see if I can email it to you. I don't really have a good cg program, and the pic quality is awful because I don't have a good scanner, but the pic itself is pretty good, if I do say so myself.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy ~Love**


	13. My Place With You

Chapter 13: My Place With You

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"Did he really say that?" Bryan stirred his food with a fork, but hadn't touched it. Serenity nodded and looked at her hands.

"I don't know exactly what he meant by-"

"Are you insane Serenity? It's obvious. Hey, I've been asking around, and guess what I found out." He leaned in close and Serenity dipped her head in too. "Word is... He's been quite taken with you since you first started painting in the forest." Serenity's eyes widened. She had never thought... but he did mention her paintings when they had spoken the first time. She just never imagined he would have been watching her all that time, almost an entire year. "They say he used to go see you when he was upset and just spent the day following you around." Serenity was utterly shocked.

"That's... That's insane...why would he-"

"Serenity, You really don't get it." Bryan rubbed his temples laughing at the girl. "When his highness is in a fix over a girl, he takes her, uses her, and is done with her. He spent an entire year just watching you. There's obviously something different about you." His eyes shifted from hers to the food in front of him. "You know, I can see what he likes in you." Bryan's face sported a faint blush, but Serenity could see it plain as day.

"Br-Bryan, If someone hears you..." Serenity looked around shyly, making sure no one was eavesdropping. He chuckled and leaned back into his seat again.

"I'm glad you're my friend Serenity. It's hard to find someone you can trust around here. The demons... they're really only out for themselves. For the most part." He winked at her as he said the last part. Serenity felt herself blush. She had to know if he really did care. She had to know if she could give herself to him. She stood, excusing herself and wandered again, looking for Seto.

After checking his room and study, then wandering around for about an hour Serenity was ready to give up. She had checked all of the corners of the keep that she was familiar with, and was afraid to check elsewhere, scared of getting lost.

"What are you doing?" Malik questioned her. That demon seemed to have eyes on her at all times. It was more than a little unnerving.

"I... I'm looking for Se-Lord Seto." She looked up at him and he shrugged.

"If there's one thing I know, When you wander about in the forest, he finds you. Though, I cant guarantee he'll be happy." Serenity glanced out the window.

"Am I allowed?" She asked, unsure if this was a good idea.

"I'm not supposed to let you out of the keep, but I cant be held responsible for little girls who wander away while my back is turned." He said, turning away from her while smiling.

"Will... Will I get in trouble?"

"Probably," He shrugged with his back still to her. "But what is he really going to do to you? Yell and the storm off? You know he wont hurt you. All you have to do is squeeze out some tears and he's pretty much putty." Malik began to stroll away.

"Will you get in trouble?" Malik froze and turned his head towards her. He thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Do what you've got to do." And he walked away. Serenity mulled over her options. Wander aimlessly around the keep until something happens, or go into the forest, have a better chance of finding him, and get a taste of freedom again. The choice, to Serenity, was obvious.

She walked straight out of the keep unimpeded. It seemed the other demons didn't care where she was going or who she was. Even though the town was large, the walls around the city had several posts and big doors leading out that were easy to spot. She went for the closest one and slipped out easily. Once in the forest she took a deep breath. The clean crisp air filled her lungs, calming her and putting her at ease.

She didn't know how much time had passed while she was out in the forest, but she was enjoying her time. A mid sized rock sat alone by a small creek, centered in a clearing in the forest. Serenity could see the sky begin to lighten as the sun began to rise. Everything about this forest made her feel warm and comfortable. Like it was always meant to be home. She had never felt threatened or fearful. It had always been a sanctuary for her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Serenity smiled as the voice she was waiting for called out to her. She turned and looked at him while he stared at her in a frustrated confusion.

"I got bored." She said, smiling to herself.

"So you run away?" She wrinkled her nose.

"I didn't run away." She turned and sat back on the rock, facing towards the sunrise. "I was waiting." He almost blew up right there and then, but he took a deep breath and walked over to her, towering over her sitting form as she faced away from him.

"For what?" He managed through gritted teeth. She giggled, making him even more angry, then turned and looked up at him.

"For you." She smiled up at him and his blood instantly cooled. He really couldn't stay mad at her. She rose from the rock while he regained his composure, and she faced him fully. "Were you really with me all those times in the forest?" She watched the color drain from his face.

"Where did you hear that?" She shrugged.

"I have my sources. It's true isn't it?" He sighed heavily. Obviously he was left out of some sort of loop. "Maybe that's why I feel so safe in this forest." His heart warmed as she acknowledged him as her protector, but reminded himself that she had been outside of the castle against his will.

"It's not safe out here. Do you realize how many times you almost died?" Serenity's eyes shot up at him and she gave him a baffled stare. "Between the wild dogs, the bandits and that one poisonous snake..." Seto brought a hand up and wiped his brow. It was Serenity's turn to pale. She hadn't even known he was there, let alone all of the dangers he mentioned. "You really are careless." He smirked down at her cautious face. She swallowed and looked up at him. A smile slowly crossed her face and he wondered what she was thinking.

"You were always there for me." Seto kept a blank face, trying hard not to show too much softness, especially when she had been in the wrong for being out here in the first place. "I like the woods. Am I not allowed to come back?" Seto had to turn away. Her pleading eyes were boring into him and he knew if he got caught in her snare, he was done for. Still, she had gained a minor victory. " Ask next time, and I'll escort you." She made a happy noise and hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her scent. In the forest, mixed with the clean air and the pine breezes, she seemed to fit in perfectly. Like a fresh garden.

"Can I watch the sun rise?" She looked up at him, still embracing him and he almost laughed.

"Now you're asking permission?"

"I've got to practice sometime." She said, giggling as a smile fought it's way onto his face. He really couldn't win with her, but somehow, it didn't bother him as much as it should have.

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><p>"You've been watching her awfully closely. You're going to leave me for her too, are you?" Lana's arms curled around Malik's torso, as they had been doing so many times lately. He was getting used to the demonesses embrace.<p>

"Seto didn't leave you because of the girl, he left you because you annoyed him. I'm beginning to see what he did as well." The demoness frowned and pulled off of him.

"So, what are we going to do next."

"I would have a better idea if I knew the movements of the enemy." Malik said under his breath. A smile twisted itself across Lana's lips and Malik raised an eyebrow.

"Well, a little birdie happened to inform me that a legion of four thousand is beginning to march tomorrow, trying to take the castle quickly before Seto can gather his forces. They'll attack during the day." She said, slinking around to his front. Malik's eyes flashed as an idea came to mind.

"Tell your birdie to stick around for a bit. It's very useful." He said turning away. She smiled as she rounded a corner, making herself scarce.

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><p>"Joey?" Rebecca moved through the forest looking for her pack leader. "Joey!" She called louder. They had made makeshift homes from large leaves and vines. By the time they moved on, the leaves and vines would have fallen apart, leaving little more than nests. She moved from hut to hut, peeking in and moving on when she couldn't find him. "Jo- Oh!" Rebecca stumbled back, blushing madly as two screams rang out from the hut she just checked. A few moments later Joey stumbled out and looked around, seeing only Rebecca. A second after, Mai poked her head out and did the same.<p>

"Sorry I didn't... I mean..." Rebecca couldn't look up at him, and Joey laughed in embarrassment and scratched his head.

"Uh... What's up Becca?" He said, face bright red and trying to regain composure.

"Malik's here. He's lookin for you." She reported. Joey wondered why he would be there, but figured it was easier to find out then wonder all day. He followed her to the south, finally landing eyes on the demon.

"What's up?"

"I need you to fall back to the town. All of you." Malik said. Joey raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"I'm setting up a tactical defense in case something should happen and we're going to be trapping the forest from Eadenburg to the north."

"Who the hell gave you that permission? This is werewolf land." Malik sighed, and turned to Mai.

"How many legions has he got in the castle to the north?"

"Um...Just one last I saw. One of three thousand. There are more farther north, but that's the only one he has in the city." Malik knew his numbers had grown, but that one legion was enough.

"Three thousand. Are they prepared to march now?" He asked, making a point.

"Yes." Mai turned her head down to the ground and Malik's eyes shifted back to Joey. Fighting about it wasn't going to work. He had o resort to what he did best. Sucking up.

"It's true, without your great idea of robbing the king's storehouses, it would have run our lands barren and even then, we might not be able to support our numbers. We've also had a strategic victory over the king, and it's probably infuriated him. With three thousand men ready to march and not enough food to feed them, what would you do? We're just trying to protect everyone. Let us have the great idea this time." Joey mulled the ideas around in his mind, and Malik already knew he had won.

"We're gonna wanna help. Besides, we want to know how safe our forest is going to be. Where the traps are and all that. Also, we know this better than anyone else would. It's still your idea. We just wanna be there." Malik smiled. He could work with that.

"Absolutely." He said, extending a hand and Joey shook it.

"So, what's the plan?"

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><p>"Well, the sun is up." Seto hinted as he looked warily around. He felt the same as when he used to watch her paint in the forest. He was on edge. He knew his abilities were more than a match for most other creatures, but with the added complication of protecting another and the war that bore on to them, he wasn't about to take any more unnecessary risks. Serenity sighed and turned to him.<p>

"I can still come out here, right? You'll let me... right?" She asked up at him.

"Serenity, it's da-' He paused and looked down as she grabbed his hand to walk next to him. "dangerous." She looked away sadly, knowing he was right.

"I wish the war wasn't going to happen. That everyone could just be happy with what they've got." She said. Seto thought about it for a moment and stopped and laughed. "What?" She was confused.

"If there was no war, you would never belong to me. I'm not quite sure if that makes the war worthwhile already." Serenity scrunched up her face and gave him a disapproving look, but was touched at how sweet he had been. "Think about it. If the war hadn't happened I'd still be spending my days, following you around in the forest, silently watching you. Years would pass, and some suitor would take you away from me." Serenity thought about it.

"No suitor would be able to take me from my town." She said.

"I did." She gave him the same wrinkled nose as before.

"That's different. I... I had to." He almost stopped again. She had really loved living in that little town, and he had taken her from that.

"Even if he let you stay. That would be torturous for me." He glanced down at her and she was looking up at him while holding his arm to her.

"But... I'm not. I'm with you. Forever." The last word was said with a tint of bitter sadness. Her eyes had averted themselves and she fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve. He knew without a doubt, all she had to do was ask for her freedom, and he wouldn't be able to say no. He just wasn't about to tell her that. Fear restrained him. Still, he felt he had to do something. He wanted this to be a happy time for her.

He pulled her off to the side, now walking in a new direction, along the east wall of the castle, heading south.

"What... Where are we going?" He didn't say anything, just led her by the hand through the woods as the ground became rockier and uneven. They moved for maybe a half hour, pausing frequently while he helped her maintain her balance, before finally stopping. A small waterfall bubbled over a large rock, pooling at the bottom and forming a creek leading farther south. The air was warm and thick, and the flowers in the grove were unusually large.

"Melody." Seto said, waiting for something. Serenity looked up to him and then back at the area around them. The water in the creek bubbled and moved unnaturally, twisting and forming upward.

"I told you, I wasn't ready to meet her." the creek whispered, taking the form of a woman. Seto shrugged as the form lifted itself from the rest of the water and became solid. A woman stood before Serenity, Dressed in a shimmering light blue gown that sparkled and moved like the water itself. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders, the same blue as her gown, and it as well seemed to move on it's own, constantly shifting and adjusting in unknown ways. She moved to Serenity and circled her.

" She looks so much like Mara." Serenity froze. She felt Seto shrug.

"I never met her, so I'll take your word." He said. The woman, Melody, brushed back Serenity's hair as Serenity stared at her with wide eyes.

"You are the spitting image of her. You were when you were young too. I was hoping you wouldn't change." She smiled sweetly.

"You... Do you mean Mara... Mara Nyfta?" She said, finally remembering the last name. The woman's laugh bubbled and echoed as if it were coming from a deep unknown place.

"Of course I do. My little sister. Though, I think she went by Mara Wheeler in her last days."

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**Woot, another chappie down. So, I tried CG-ing the drawing myself, but I kind of half assed it. If you guys wanna check it out, it's on my deviant art account. Along with the original. Let me know what you think. .com/#/d4kzm8q is the CG version and .com/#/d4kzmwf is the original. I finished a pic of Malik and Lana, and that will be up soon as well.**

**I hope you all continue to read and enjoy this fic.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	14. Setting the Tides of War

Chapter 14: Setting the Tides of War

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"Take the damned town. Kill the civilians and burn down the homes. The area will be used as a foothold against the demons. From there we'll set up a small training fort and work on stabilizing the area." The king demanded. Immediately the men in the room rose, bowed and left.

"Sire, you are a genius." Bakura bowed. "When shall we strike?"

"_I_ will strike at noon. You will not be needed today." Bakura frowned.

"My lord, you are underestimating the demon nation and wolves." Bakura opened his mouth to say something but the king cut him off.

"I have four thousand soldiers preparing to march right now. The demon city doesn't even have a quarter of that. The wolves are easy enough and the forest is familiar to many of my soldiers. We'll be fine without you." The king dismissed him. Bakura started for the door, but had the last word with his liege.

"You will regret this decision." Bakura warned before exiting.

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><p>"I don't understand." Serenity looked over the otherworldly woman, trying to absorb the information she had just been given. "My mother... she never..." The woman bubbled with laughter again.<p>

"Mara was always a free spirit, such is the nature of a wood nymph. She spent hundreds of years hunted and taunted by the humans, like most of us. When she finally met your father, she decided to give up her heritage and powers. She wanted to live as a human with him. A simple life without the fear and chaos of being a nymph."

"How can you just... give it up?" Serenity said in wonder.

"We ask the elements. Actually, we ask out parents." Serenity stared up at her, completely shocked. "Nymphs are the children of the elements. Which would make you their grandchild. The elements are quick to give favors to their children." She explained.

"I..." Serenity couldn't form words. This was just too much to take in.

"That's right little nymph." Seto chuckled. The woman glanced over to him and smiled, then turned back to Serenity.

"I'm sorry, but I am not used to sustaining this form. I feel weak and must return, but visit soon and often, I have much I would like to talk to you about." Serenity notices the nymph's hair and fingers began to drip. Her whole body seemed to be loosing structure and she backed towards the creek. Within seconds, she completely faded into the creek and was gone.

"So... I... That's why you always called me that." Serenity looked up at Seto and he smiled down at her. "You always knew. How did you meet her?" She asked as he began leading her back to the castle.

"She saved my life." Serenity looked up at him as the walked. "It was about six or seven hundred years ago. Just after my parents were murdered." Serenity gasped, but he continued as if he was simply commenting on the weather. "A war had broken out and I was struggling to maintain power over the nation. I was injured in battle and thrown into the river that separates the king's country from the one to the south. She is the nymph that inhabits the waters and she pulled me from the riverbed. She nursed me back to health, which inevitably led to my victory and my personal rise to power." Serenity glanced back to where the creek was then at her own feet.

"So, that's my aunt... I thought I had lost all of my family besides Joey. And for a while... even Joey..." Seto glanced down at the girl. She had been through so much, and Melody hadn't wanted to overload her, but somehow he knew she needed this.

"This was her forest." He said, still looking down at her. Her eyes met his and she stopped. "Melody told me, this was her home. She lived in Eadenburg because it was in the middle of her forest, and she couldn't bear to leave it."

"Did you know my mother?" She had so many questions. Seto shook his head.

"I never met her. If a nymph does not want to be found, it would take an elemental itself to get one. When your mother died, Melody knew right away. She asked me to look into it. She described her to me and told me to look for her. I did. And when you finally stepped into my forest, I thought I had found her. I brought her to you, one day while you were painting. She told me it wasn't her, but that she felt a connection to you. She knew you were Mara's daughter, but I couldn't keep her there long. She grows weak when she's not in the water." He helped her over a rough rock and placed her gently on the ground. "She asked me to watch over you, and over the months, it became an easy chore." Serenity smiled sweetly up to him.

"You... really do care, don't you?" He chuckled a bit, but didn't answer. She slipped her hand into his again, and they walked the rest of the way in peace.

When they entered the castle the town was at a standstill. As the sun rose, it seemed the entire town went to bed. That reminded Serenity that she had also been up all night and was quite tired. A yawn escaped her and Seto chuckled. He could remain awake for two days without need of rest, but this frail human, she was easily exhaustible. On their way to his room, they bumped into David.

"Hello, my lord." David bowed.

"How is the cleaning and habitation going?" Seto asked.

"It's complete, sire. Malik had remarkable timing." Seto looked at his housing manager confusedly. "Uh, when he came by," David tried, wondering why Seto had been so confused. "To get the demons for the special mission in the northern forest..." Seto froze. Malik was the head of his military, but everything he decided had to go through him.

"When did he come by?"

"Around sunrise."

"What time is it now?"

"Just before noon sire, is something wrong?" Seto marched right back out the doors without another word. Serenity bowed quickly to the demon and followed him.

"Wait inside." Seto commanded as he exited the main threshold to his castle. Serenity continued to follow, worried about him.

"I want to go, what's happening? What did he do?" She tried, but he was too fast for her. He made it just to the tree line and turned, stopping her in her tracks. She was till about ten feet from him, but she couldn't take another step forward.

"I want you safe." With that his body melded into the shadows of the trees and he was gone.

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><p>Joey walked carefully along the ridge of a small hill, counting his steps as he took them and judging the distance he traveled after a certain amount of them. He paused and sighed then scanned the area. Before he could blink his blood turned cold. Thoughts didn't even get a chance to cross his mind as he turned into his hybrid and lunged forward. The man, shocked, was completely taken off guard as Joey grabbed him and jumped a good twenty feet away, tossing the man along side him.<p>

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Seto demanded as Joey got off of him and turned back.

"Whaddaya mean what am I doing? You were standing right in the middl-" An arrow whipped by Joeys face, interrupting him and both heads whipped to the north. They were coming. "Shit" Joey muttered. He saw Seto getting ready to charge out of the corner of his eye and grabbed his arm. "No, come on, run." He said, pulling at the demon. Seto didn't understand, but followed him, hoping to get an explanation for everything once they got to where he thought was safe.

It wasn't long until the sound of clanking armor filled the woods. Joey raced southward and Seto followed, glancing behind as he heard screams of a charge. They were advancing, and Joey and Seto were alone. Suddenly Joey tugged him to the side, and stopped against a tree.

"What the-" Seto stopped, noticing Joey pull up a large hollow tube leading underground.

"Hey, we got company! Lot's of em. And fast!" he screamed into it. Seto could hear a sudden shift, and he surveyed the area. He didn't know what it was, but something was wrong. Something about the woods was off. He watched as the armor of the guards became visible, glimmering and reflecting light as they marched.

They got closer and closer, and Seto glanced at Joey, wondering why he was just waiting around, clutching the tube. The soldiers caught sight of them, and quickened their pace even more. Seto glanced between the soldiers and Joey rapidly, waiting for a sign. They were barely fifty feet away when Joey finally did something.

"Now! Do it now!" He called. The enemy was marching on, and nothing happened. Seto could smell something new though, as if the king's men were taking torch to the forest again, but brushed it off as residue left from the fires. He prepared himself for a parry, but never needed it. Loud explosions went off as the king's men reached only ten feet away. The ground blew out from under the heavy soldiers and Seto watched as the entire force crumbled into new caverns below. It took a few full minutes for all the damage to be done. The soldiers forces were decimated. The survivors were either injured or unable to press forward.

Seto heard a loud roar as light earth demons, fire demons and shadow demons charged forward, removing what was left of the forces. Wolves rounded from the west and the north trapping the kings men, and the battle started. Seto lunged forward as more of his demons poured out.

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><p>Serenity paced back and forth, almost wearing a path in the floor of her room. She nervously glanced out the window, watching for anything to happen in the forests, or perhaps his return. Distant roars and rumbles sounded from the north, and Serenity could see a gigantic cloud of dust and dirt fly up above the treeline.<p>

She waited patiently, worrying and wringing her hands trying to keep herself calm. She was left for almost an hour before the castle really started to make noise. She ran out into the greeting hall, where everyone seemed to be gathering. The doors burst open as two demons entered, one unconscious being carried by the other. Serenity gasped and ran to them, and seeing who they were, almost dropped in horror.

"Someone get him!" Malik shrieked as he gently lowered Seto. Serenity moved to them as Malik collapsed.

"What happened?" She cried, turning Malik upright as two other demons took care of Seto.

"I was setting up a trap... and we were ambushed... an entire legion... We almost... didn't..."

" Malik!" A woman's voice screamed and Lana broke through the crowd and pushed Serenity away from him. "What happened to you?" He didn't seem to have the strength to answer and she helped him to his feet. "Right, your room first, then you'll tell me." They began to move him to his room and Serenity started for Seto's room.

She dodged a demon rushing out of the room with bloody cloths, and moved in to see him. There were two other demons tending to him. Serenity slowly walked closer, watching everyone work on him and feeling useless. Someone bumped into her and apologized before moving around her. She realized it was Ryou. It must have been serious if Ryou was there. Serenity could feel warm tears sting her eyes. She hated seeing Seto in such a condition.

She waited by him as Ryou worked. The other demons were no longer necessary so they moved on to other injured demons they could help. Finally, after a few hours, Ryou could do no more.

"Could you watch over him, while I work on the others?" He asked. Serenity, eager to do something-anything, nodded and took his spot next to Seto. "Call me if anything happens." He said while smiling, then turned out the door. Serenity looked over Seto's fallen form. His wounds had been cleaned and Ryou's magic clotted the lacerations. The demons had removed his shirt and chaps, leaving him naked, unconscious and completely vulnerable. She really couldn't bare to see him like this, but she refused to leave him.

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><p>The world blurred into sight. It was dark, and it hurt to move. It felt like a weight was pushing down on him. His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and his lips curved upwards. A young girl with fiery hair was fast asleep across his chest. He looked to the window and wondered how long he had been asleep. He was still exhausted, but wanted to get up and check on his men. He turned his head towards the door, but froze as she began to stir.<p>

"Seto..." He heard her sigh. He watched her eyes crack open and she jumped up. "You... You're awake!"

"I cant remember waking next to a more beautiful girl." He said. If it wasn't so dark, he was sure he would see a blush across her face. He felt something small and wet fall onto his arm, which she was clutching with her entire being.

"I... I was so afraid... I thought, maybe... you..." He found some strength and raised his hand to cup her face. He could feel the tears coating her cheeks.

"If I were to die, I would only hope it would be in your arms." Serenity choked back another sob and threw herself at him, hugging him close. Seto cringed slightly, but wouldn't move her away from him for the world.

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**Wow, so seven reviews and the chapter hadn't even been up for a whole day. I'm shocked. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the fic and taking time to let me know you are. I didn't think this fic would be received so well, being an AU and all, but I'm really happy with how it's turning out. Next chappie will be up soon. The reviews really get me pumped and inspire me to write more, so I end up updating faster. **

**Hope to hear from you all again.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	15. Your True Face

Chapter 15: Your True Face

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"What is wrong with you, you could have had the throne today!" Lana paced before him, moving angrily back and forth. She wanted to scream more, but she was too upset to form words.

"You really don't get politics do you?" He said, sighing into his hand. He had been sitting in the same position for a few hours and it was starting to hurt. Lana turned her venomous gaze on him and approached him. She still said nothing, but raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"You could have died!" He lifted her hand again, but it never made it down. He was on his feet, fast as lightening, and rushed her into the wall. Her eyes widened at his strength and speed, which she hadn't expected given his current condition.. She was pinned with him looming above her. His face was blank and it bothered her that she didn't know what was going through his mind.

"It was my plan all along to save Seto at some point, you imbecile. It's one thing to come up with great strategies for war, it's another to rescue the current beloved leader and gain the title of a truly trusted adviser. Everyone in the entire kingdom knows that I am next in line for the throne now. I could have let him die and assured the next ten years of rule, until some other ambitious demon who believes I killed him steps up to remove me.

"Think about it. Rule for five hundred years in peace, or rule in peace every ten years or so until someone strong enough finishes me." He had been inching closer and closer to her with every sentence, and now he was barely half an inch from her. "And if you ever touch me like that again, I will break you." He emphasized his point by squeezing her wrists hard and making her whimper. He finally released her and turned from her, heading back to his chair.

"Now, your little birdie. Would it happen to have access to the Fey nation?" Malik asked, seating himself.

"Y-yes...It's one of it's favorite places..." She tried desperately to regain her composure.

"What exactly did it tell you about where the Fey stand in this war?"

"They are neutral. You know the fey lord doesn't like the demon lord, but he's not exactly thrilled with the vampires either." She said. She didn't feel comfortable moving towards him, but he motioned for her to approach and she felt a compulsion to do as he requested. She sat on the floor next to him, draping an arm over his leg. He stroked her arm and she tried hard not to flinch away, but her body quivered anyways. He didn't acknowledge it, and just continued on.

"Would he be willing to help me dethrone his old nemesis?" Malik asked still stroking her trembling arm.

"I can ask..."

"Go, do that." She was more than eager to rise and leave and he let her, smiling as he watched her disappear into the hall.

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><p>Seto cracked one eye open and cursed. He didn't want to sleep the night through. Waking up in the sunlight threw him off a little bit. He preferred the twilight. The time just between full day and full night. He held back a groan, trying not to wake Serenity, but noticed she was slowly and softly rubbing his chest as she laid next to him. She was stroking the skin that was not marred and painful, tracing circles around the cuts and bruises.<p>

She paused as his stomach growled. He had completely forgotten to eat for the last two or three days, and he was severely aware of it now. She glanced up at him, noticed he was awake, and pulled herself up off of him. He immediately felt cold and empty without her warm contact. He chuckled nonetheless.

"I'll call for food." He said, his stomach growing more painful every time he thought of it. He began to lift himself but she wouldn't allow it.

"I'll call for it. You need to stay here." She said. It sounded like a kind sweet gesture, but Seto took it as an order. He disagreed, but wouldn't move without her present, for her peace of mind. Once satisfied that he wouldn't move, Serenity crawled off of the bed and started for the dining hall.

"Hey Serenity, you look awful..." Bryan looked her up and down. She hadn't slept well, constantly waking to check on Seto and make sure he was alright. Her hair was messy and her dress wasn't sitting right on her.

"That's not what you said yesterday." She said, wrinkling her nose. " I need a favor. Lord Seto's really hurt and needs some food that's going to help him get stronger." She said. He thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess I can whip up something quick, but I've got to leave soon." He said. Serenity gave him a confused look.

"Why?"

"Oh, They've asked me to leave the castle to get some herbs that we're running low on. That last battle used up most of our supply. I hate leaving the castle. It just reminds me there's a world out there where we're still hunted." He looked down sadly, but shook his head. "I'd better get going." He ducked into the kitchen and about fifteen minutes later reappeared with a bowl of soup, a plate of some sort of mush, and a sandwich on a tray. "The sandwich is for you." He said, starting towards the door, but Serenity stopped him.

"I'll bring it up. You've got important things to do." He let her take the tray and thanked her, turning towards the keep entrance. He couldn't help but smile as he left.

Serenity made it back to Seto's room without dropping or spilling the food, which she thought was a great feat. She went to move into the room, but heard yelling and paused.

"What the hell were you doing there? You didn't inform me of anything that was happening, and you expect me to continue to trust you?" Serenity could hear Seto straining to keep his breathing under control.

"My lord, I couldn't find you and I honestly thought you would have loved the idea. I just didn't expect to have to utilize it so suddenly." Malik's voice calmly stated. "I had just sent word for you barely after you showed up. If that legion had made it to the town, it would have been destroyed. Who knows how many men we, or the werewolves would have lost. Sire, I believe I made the right decision, the only thing I would change would be to inform you sooner. But I cant read the future. I had no way of knowing." Serenity poked her head in and both looked to her. Seto could do little else but growl. He hated not knowing where his men were and not being able to respond quickly to threats and battles.

"Lord Seto..." Serenity said politely. "If you had seen him bring you in...He saved you. I really only believe he has the best for you and your people in mind. I... I don't mean to intrude, but... the added stress of yelling and fighting is just going to make you even weaker. Cant you talk about this later, when you're better?" She begged. Seto sighed. She always seemed to make sense and make him feel like a child at the same time. He could only agree with her and the points she made.

"Get out. " He directed at Malik. "And when you plan for anything in the future, I know first." He demanded. Malik nodded and slipped out the door. "Must you make me look a fool in front of my own men?" He asked her, dropping his head down on the pillow below it and closing his eyes. He heard her giggle and went to shoot her a glare, but she had moved already and was at his side, placing the tray of food on his nightstand. The sudden smell of the food made his stomach growl again. He lifted himself, cringing at the pain, but too hungry to really care.

She insisted she feed him and after a slight argument, she won. The soup went down well, but the gruel... it tasted something awful. He almost begged her to stop, but she had argued that it must be good for him. He remembered eating it before when he was injured, but also remembered it was the worst tasting thing he could recall eating. She giggled as he wrinkled his nose at the flavor.

"Be lucky you're not eating this." He said before she placed another spoonful in his mouth. "You know... This isn't the first time a nymph has nursed me back to health, but I have to admit, it's not as appealing as I thought it would be." She shot him a playful glare and gave him another spoonful. He was no happier with this spoonful compared to the last, but he couldn't help but smirk at her.

"You're impossible." She said, giving up.

"You're perfect." He said sarcastically, smirk still on his lips.

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><p>Over the last few days, Lana had sent her 'little birdie' out and communications with the lord of the fey were going smoothly.<p>

"Who's the contact, Lana." Malik demanded. He knew he had been instilling fear into her slowly and surely. She needed him if she wanted to be queen, so she couldn't leave. She looked at him cautiously and he sighed. "I need to know. I have a plan."

"I... I can take you to him." She led him out of the castle and into the forest. They waited a moment before someone finally spoke.

"I thought I was your little secret, Lana." Malik recognized the vice immediately.

"You... This whole time." He said to the boy.

"That's right." Malik shook his shock off and got to business.

"How close are you to the fey?" The boy chuckled.

"Actually, I only deal with them, I'm really only interested in the vampires." Perfect. Malik could feel a smile cross his face.

"How do you communicate with them?" He asked. The boy shuffled around in his cloak and pulled out a small glowing blue stone. "A call stone?" Malik asked. It made sense. Those stones were magicked to send long distance messages between the callers who held the two linked ones.

"Not Quite." Before Malik could question him again, he threw the stone down and the world shifted beneath them. When the world was finally right again, they stood in a clearing. The forest around them was thin and soft, completely different from demon territory. "You do prefer face to face negotiations, correct?" The boy asked.

"Actually, this is perfect. Will the stone bring us back again?" The boy nodded. " And you know your way around fey territory?" He nodded again. "Take me to the capitol's healing academy." He demanded. The boy raised an eyebrow, but began to lead Malik, seemingly eager to prove himself.

They entered a large city, guarded by two fey, but upon seeing the boy leading the two others, they let them pass.

"What exactly are the fey planning for the war?" Malik asked the boy. Lana looked questioningly at Malik, insulted that he would think she was holding something back from him.

"Well, I hear they've already joined the vampires." He said offhandedly. Malik's smile grew. It just made it easier for him. Lana looked at the boy in shock and he just shrugged, walking next to Malik and leaving her to follow behind. She had a sinking feeling that she was no longer in control of the situation.

"Then that makes this easy." Malik said, entering the dormitories. He looked around as the fey all gazed up at him. They all looked young and almost childlike, but he knew most of them were far older than him. He paused and smiled, then glanced back at the boy. "Have that rock ready." The boy confusedly shifted in his cloak, grasping the stone. Malik charged forward, grabbing a fey and ran back to the boy. "Now!" He yelled and he felt the world shift again.

"What is wrong with you, we could have used-"

"Shut up Lana. I know what I'm doing. They would have just been my enemies after I took control." He shouted at her. "Besides, this is a good thing." He said, looking down at the little fey in his arms. The boy looked startled and confused, but didn't speak. He knew he was much too fragile to fight off his kidnappers, and if they had intended to kill him, they would have already. "Now they're going to be openly at war with the demons. Seto can take care of them before I rise to power."

"Well there goes that contact." The boy said, taking the stone and breaking it apart with a regular one. "Just know, Malik, I'm not loyal to anyone but myself. Your current plan aids my goals as well as accomplishes yours, so I'll help you, but I act for myself first." Malik glared down at him, but had to respect the guts he showed.

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><p>"I don't feel right Serenity." Seto said while she placed a tray of food on his nightstand again. He had been able to move around for two days now, but felt so drained.<p>

"What's the matter?" She asked, beginning to worry. She had thought he was healing up well. He hadn't complained about pain or illness, and had been getting stronger.

"I'm not healing right. I... I don't know, it's just not right." It was so easy for him to be honest and open with her. She moved in front of him and pulled him into a hug.

"We should call Ryou." She said, holding him to her. His arms folded around her and he sighed. It may have been easy to open up to her, but to other people... it wasn't the same. She sensed his hesitation and spoke up. " You know we should. I cant do anything to help you, but he can. Please, will you let me call him?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes and he knew she had won once again. He nodded and she broke from him, and left to get Ryou.

It took almost twenty minutes before she returned, but when she did Ryou followed in behind her.

"What seems to be wrong?" Ryou asked. Seto explained how he felt to the fey and waited while he performed a series of magics on him. It took about two hours of testing and waiting but Ryou finally came to a conclusion."It's true, you're not healing up right. Your body is regenerating slowly, even for a human, it's slow. You should be well by now, but there's still serious damage inside and... there's actually new damage." Seto's eyes widened and Serenity looked between the two.

"You're saying... I've been..."

"Poisoned." Ryou finished for him. "And from what I can tell, it's centered around your current wounds. I believe the king's weapons, or at least one of the weapons that struck you was poisoned. It will take me a day or so to determine the proper antidote, but I should be able to get it."

The rest of the day was spent worrying and wondering as Serenity and Seto waited patiently for Ryou's diagnosis. He had done several tests, magical and mundane. Anywhere from sending bright whisp-ing lights into the demon lord to cutting a small slice into his arm draining blood from swollen areas. Seto dismissed Serenity, her constant worrying making him begin to worry himself. He appreciated her concern, but wanted her to rest and get some fresh air.

She couldn't think straight and turned o the only person she felt comfortable confiding in. Once in the Dining hall, she found Bryan and it took everything in her not to burst out in tears.

"Can I talk to you or are you busy?" She asked, pulling him off to the side.

"I'm actually just getting off work. What can I help you with... Are you ok?" Bryan was pulled into the hallway, which was empty and more private than the crowded dining hall. Serenity couldn't keep the tears from falling anymore.

"It's Lord Seto... He's sick... Actually... He's poisoned." Bryan's eyes widened. "Ryou said he thinks one of the weapons the king's men had was poisoned, but he's running more tests. He's been working on him all day. I just feel so useless. I cant do anything to help... I just stand there and say nothing while things I cant influence happen around me." Bryan looked around and thought hard, and finally an idea came to mind.

"You can help." Serenity looked up at him hopefully. "Why don't you go with me to gather more herbs. That way you can keep yourself busy while waiting and can gather herbs and medicine to help once Ryou figures it out." Serenity jumped up and hugged him. He led her out of the keep and into the forest to the direct east of where the castle stood. As he walked he fiddled with a small stone in his pocket.

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**Ok, you guys are trying to blow my mind now. Ten reviews! In less than half a day? Well,hHere it is An update 13 hours after the last one. And of course it ends in somewhat of a cliffie. I am evil! Mwahahahahaha!**

**I'm really psyched to be writing the next chappie. It might be halfway done before you guys even read this one.**

**I just want to thank my speedy reviewers of chapter 14. You're all so positive and wonderful. It makes writing so much more fun when you have so much more confidence, and it's all thanks to you!**

**In response to lilJoker, Yes there will be more lemons, but later on. Don't worry, that wasn't the only one.**

**Also, this was written fast and might have errors, if you notice any, please point them out and I will fix them, thanks so much.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	16. Betrayal

**Real dark scene in this one. It's a sort of lemon, but not a nice one. This is my warning. If it bothers you, don't read it. It was a tough decision to put it in, but I did, and I stand by it. **

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Chapter 16: Betrayal

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Ryou rushed into Seto's room hurriedly. He didn't wait for Seto to ask what was going on.

"Sire! Your poisoning, it wasn't from the blades. Its the blood of the Sealie Clan." Seto looked at him shocked.

"What are you talking about, why would they do that? I'm the one who saved them. Who protected them." Ryou shook his head.

"I know, It doesn't make any sense. I didn't want to believe it either, but I've tested it many times. I even went so far as to ask the chefs about it." Ryou paled. " They... They said only one of them had prepared all of your meals. At Serenity's request." It was Seto's turn to pale.

"What are you trying to say, Ryou?" Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It seems Serenity and Bryan, the boy who's been preparing your meals, are quite close. Many even talk of them... being intimate. Just today, she was seen hugging him. I'm not one to judge, my lord, but it seems highly unlikely that this is a coincidence." Ryou said sadly. Seto growled low and rose from his bed. "Sire... Are you sure you should be moving?" Seto brushed past him, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Where is she?" He asked while walking full stride. Ryou rushed to keep up with him.

"I don't know my lord, I asked a few people to look into it. Right here!" Ryou rushed forward, passing the demon lord and moved to a man who looked eager to report.

"She was seen leaving the castle with a Sealie." The demon said, and Seto's blood chilled. He didn't feel up to leaving the castle, but he wasn't going to stop until he got the entire truth. He needed to know. He left for the door, exiting the keep, then the castle. He would find her. Nothing could stop him.

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><p>Serenity was bent over, rummaging through foliage gathering a herb that Bryan had instructed her to get. They had been gathering for a few hours and Bryan had left to pick more along side the river. Serenity looked at the basket of herbs she had collected and felt comfortable with the contents.<p>

"So that's what a nymphs ass looks like." A cold voice teased. Serenity froze in place, unable to move out of fear. "Well, half nymph, but still, I can see why he fancies you. " Serenity found the courage to turn and face the voice. A pale man with white hair and cold brown eyes grinned down at her.

"Who... Who are you?"

"Don't worry Serenity, We need you alive." Serenity watched in horror as Bryan moved from behind the intimidating man. "We wont kill you."

"Yet." Bakura added in a sinister smile, then turned to Bryan. "Go. He'll be here any second." Bryan nodded, and moved off to the west, towards the castle. As he moved, he pulled a syringe out and stabbed it into his arm. It wasn't long before he spotted the demon lord. He strode confidently into the forest, and right past Bryan. He followed Seto until they spotted Serenity and Bakura. Seto rushed forward but stopped when Bakura, who had been aware of his presence, grabbed her and spun her. She screamed as he brought his hand up to her throat, scraping a red bloody line across her collarbone.

"Hello there, old friend" Bakura said, pleased with his victim's fear. Seto paled and froze. He knew if he fought in his condition, he would never win. "Please, take a seat." Seto glared, but whipped his head around as something stung his shoulder. He was barely able to register what he saw before his legs gave out. Bryan walked up and removed the now empty syringe from Seto's shoulder, then pushed Seto's weak form to the ground.

The pain was unbearable. It felt like every ounce of blood in his body was set on fire. He looked up dazedly at Bryan, but could only form inaudible sounds.

"You've had this coming to you." Bryan spat at him, then turned to Bakura "My Lord, you did bring the fey, right?" Bakura glanced at the boy and nodded.

"He's already here." A slight flash of light notified everyone to the presence of a fey.

"Good to see you again, little Seto boy." The fey glared down at Seto, then turned his attention to Bryan. "I see you're trying to make up for your follie earlier." Bryan nodded. "We will discus our affairs soon, little Saelie. And I trust you have what you want?" He aimed the question to Bakura and the vampire nodded. The fey know he was out for pain. He wanted The demon lord to suffer. And if there was one thing Bakura was good at, it was making people suffer. " Then I'll leave you to your fun. All I want is assurance that he dies." The man said, pointing at Seto. "Don't forget to thank your boss for his help, just tell him, he's next." Bryan swallowed Hard.

"I only worked with Malik and Lana, they don't own me." Serenity gasped, shocked at what she was hearing.

"What are you trying to do, Malik has nothing to do with-" Serenity tried, but was cut off.

"You moronic child." Bryan sneered at her. "Malik and Lana had been plotting against the demon lord all along." Serenity turned to Seto, who was wearing a confused expression. His breathing became uneven and she could see the hurt and rage in his eyes.

"Just make sure he dies." The fey lord said, pulling a stone from his cape and slamming it into the ground. The fey lord was gone, and Bakura turned down to look at his victims.

"That should be easy now, but first..." Bakura dragged Serenity over to Seto and kicked him hard, turning him onto his back. Seto winced in pain, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. "I want to hear you scream." Seto glared up at him, determined not to give him what he wanted. No matter how much pain Bakura caused him, he wouldn't make a noise. Except there was one flaw in his determination. Bakura pushed Serenity down on her knees, and yanked her hair back hard. She did scream.

" Leave... Leave her alone... She's not... She doesn't have anything to do with this!" Seto managed. His breathing became rapid and he coughed and choked up some blood.

"Little girl, " Bakura whispered into Serenity's ear. "Aren't you going to beg him for help?" He grinned as she sobbed but she turned back to look at him.

"You're a monster-" He hit her across the face, making her cry out again and sending her down on all fours. She was only three feet from Seto, but before she could try to move closer to him, Bakura was on her. He pinned her to the spot, trapping her beneath him, and ran a hand across her butt. Seto could hear her whimper at his touch and tried desperately to stand, but his legs were numb and his arms weak and all he could manage was to extend his arm towards her.

"Just give in, little nymph. You don't want me to hurt him, do you." Seto's entire being panicked. Bakura was trying to use them against each other. He didn't want Serenity to stop fighting. He never wanted Serenity to stop fighting. He wanted her free, and far away from him.

"You're going to anyways. What I do and say wont change that!" She yelled, struggling against him. Seto would have smiled, but the vampire slammed her flush against the ground.

"Good. I was hoping you would say that. I love when they scream." He said, bearing his fangs against her ear. He grabbed the back of her dress and ripped it downward, exposing her vulnerable flesh. She yelled as he pulled it the rest of the way down and raked his nails against her skin, all the way down her back, leaving pink trails. His fingers glided down lower until they landed cupping her butt and curling in, between her thighs. She cried out and wriggled helplessly as he penetrated her.

She felt sick, like at any moment she would vomit from disgust. She wanted him out of her and off of her. She looked up at Seto who was now completely paralyzed. Nothing on him moved except for two wet streams flowing from his eyes. He couldn't make a noise. He couldn't get up. He couldn't save her. He couldn't even close his eyes. All he could do was watch the most horrible thing he would ever witness.

Bakura moved his fingers inside her and felt a snap. He pulled his hand out and looked at the blood on it.

"Oh, this gets better and better. A virgin... at least you'll gt to witness your girlfriend's first orgasm before you die." Bakura cackled. Serenity began to sob and he jabbed his hand back into her. Her body jerked and her sobs turned into painful yells. "I wonder what dear Seto would think if his last memory was me, making you mine... In every way." Bakura's fangs elongated and he scraped them across her throat. She began a whimper but it turned into a scream as he bit down hard and began to draw the blood out of her.

The feelings of dizziness and heaviness was immediate as her vision began to fade. She slumped as he drew more and more blood from her, but he was determined to enjoy this as much as he could. He rammed his fingers into her again and she let out a small yell, unable to scream fully any longer.

"S-Sire..." Bryan's voice was a faint whisper. He didn't want to upset his new liege, but this was just too much for him. Bakura turned his glare on the boy and Bryan paled. He reached into his pocket and removed a teleporter stone, then flung it at the boy and turned back to the crying girl before him. Bryan caught it and almost vomited himself when he saw Serenity's blood smeared across the rocks edges. With a shaking hand he raised the rock, but instead of throwing it down, it fell from his grasp. Bakura whipped back around as he heard coughing and sputtering.

From the center of Bryan's chest, a bloody hand reached out. Malik removed his arm from the now dead boy and wiped the dangerous blood from him.

"What are you doing! You said you just wanted to watch him die!" Lana's voice called out from behind.

"Just cleaning up loose ends, love." Malik's eyes glazed over Bakura, avoided Serenity and landed on Seto, who's fury poured from him even in his immobilized state.

"Loose ends? He was a valuable ally!" Malik turned on her, grabbing her neck and squeezing.

"I've been wanting to do this since you first came to me, begging me to turn against Seto." He pulled her close. "Though I cant say the entire time wasn't... pleasing." Her eyes bulged and a sickening snap made her whole body go limp. Bakura roared, leaping off of Serenity an launching toward Malik. Malik didn't expect the vampire's speed to surpass his own, and was taken off guard, but a split second before the vampire reached him, he was tossed violently away as a burst of flames hit his side.

"This ends today brother!" Ryou cried. Bakura jumped back to his feet and lunged at Ryou, dead set on not giving him enough time to cast, but Malik was on him now. He pinned the vampire to the ground, and punched him hard across the jaw.

"Leave him to me, get to Seto. Now!" Malik screamed, sweeping his fist across Bakura's face again. Ryou rushed to the demon and immediately pulled out a series of syringes and blades. He poked and sliced, placing herbs and medicines in strategic locations and slowly, the feeling began to come back in Seto's body. When he could finally move again, he grabbed Ryou and pulled him close. He still hadn't gotten full use from his vocal chords yet, but he managed to squeeze out a few words.

"Help her!" His head fell back but Ryou was sure he was stable and moved to Serenity. He turned her over, covering her body with the remains of the dress, and checked her vitals.

Bakura slashed across Malik's chest, tossing him off and rolled onto the demon. He raised his own fist, but Malik struck from below, knocking his jaw upward. He balled both his fists together and struck the vampire in the temple, pushing him back and dazing him. Not wasting time, Malik slashed across the vampire's throat and finally ripped a hole through him, clawing viciously at his chest and destroying the old lord.

"She... She's not going to make it. I cant do anything for her!" Ryou panicked. She didn't have enough blood left in her and it wasn't something magic could heal. He looked around frantically and spotted his dead brother. "Him! Bring him here!" Ryou called. Malik threw Bakura's corpse down to them and fell to his knees, out of breath. Ryou's hands shook as he readied a syringe, but he hesitated to draw the vampire's blood.

Malik growled in frustration, pushed Ryou out of the way and slashed the body's wrist, draining the blood into Serenity's mouth. He held the wrist over her and watched as the blood dribbled down her throat. After a few moments, she choked and coughed some of it up, but Malik continued to drain it above her.

Seto felt a sudden rush to his head, and though he wasn't quite strong enough to stand, he sure as hell tried. His balance still hadn't recovered and he settled on dragging himself to Serenity. She was deathly pale and Malik and Ryou pulled away from them as Seto managed to wrap himself around her. There was nothing left he could do other than wait. The world began to spin and turn dark. The last thing he remembered was clinging desperately to her as someone attempted to lift him up.

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**So yeah... Dark... Creepy... and the truth comes out. Pls don't flame. **

**Also, My bitchy fiance is making me not work on the story for the next few days, so the update will be slow. He's getting jealous of all the time I put into writing the story and the happiness it gives me. I'm probably going to be very depressed over the next few days. This is the only hobby of mine that he hasn't forced me to stop, so I'm pretty much just going to be bored and sad over the next two days. The next update should come up in the next two or three days. I hope my three updates in one day makes up for it.  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love ya  
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	17. Home Again

Chapter 17: Home Again

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Seto woke with a start, reaching out wildly in search of something he knew needed to be there, but couldn't recall what. His hand landed on something soft as his vision focused. He sucked in a breath as he looked over Serenity. He noticed they both had been washed and dressed, but that's not what took his breath away. She was pale. Pale and cold. He turned to her and pain racked his body. He suddenly remembered everything that took place and moved rapidly, ignoring the pain and squeezed her to him.

He heard her moan lightly and gave her some space, holding her out and watching as her eyes fluttered open. He could see that her eyes hadn't quite focused yet, but she snapped into consciousness. Her body bucked and thrashed as she began to scream and cry. His arms wrapped around her as he hushed her and whispered comforts to her.

"S-Seto?" she whimpered out, slowly realizing who has hugging her. She pulled herself into him, sobbing into his chest. She looked up at him after settling down a bit and sniffled. "Are... Are you ok?" Seto was stunned. He was still in pain and had been very close to death, but she had gone through so much as well. She suffered through things he wouldn't wish on anyone... except maybe one person. But after all she had gone through... her first words when she woke. The first thing on her mind that she could say to him... was he ok... was he ok! He wanted to squeeze her to him and never let go.

"Serenity..." He did puller her against him, then pressed his lips on hers. She was soft and compliant at first, but after a few moments she seemed energized and eager. He ran her fingers through his hair and pressed herself against him. He enjoyed the feeling but forced himself back. He pulled her gently from him and she looked up at him with teary questioning eyes."Are... Are you alright?" He asked, confused at her sudden intensity. It was what he had wanted from her, but this was just wrong.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said quickly, trying to pull him back to her. He allowed the embrace but before she could resume the kissing, he tilted his head away.

"Serenity, something's not right. I can tell." A tear fell from her eye as she stared up at him. Her lower lip started to tremble and she sucked in an uneven breath.

"I... I knew...I knew you wouldn't want me after... that..." She was barely able to whisper it out. He watched, mouth agape, as she closed her eyes tightly, forcing out more tears. She was afraid that _he_ wouldn't want her? He cupped her wet cheek with his hand and forced her eyes back to him.

"Serenity, I probably wont ever stop wanting you. I just don't want you to think you have to do these things. I wont ever force you Serenity. I wont ever make you do anything like that." He assured her.

"I want to." She said, shocking him again. "I want to do it. I want you. I want my first time to be you. If it had been him I... I..." She shook her head violently, trying to rid the image from her. "I want you before someone else can try to-" His hand firmed on her cheek and she looked up at him again.

"No one will ever touch you like that again. I swear to you. I'll die before it happens." She sobbed again into his hand.

"You almost did..." His breath stopped. He hadn't been able to save her. He hadn't been able to do anything. What if it happened again? If he was completely useless again? He couldn't count on another person showing up to save her and him every time. No. He had to be stronger. He had to protect her. He brought his lips to her forehead.

"Nothing will hurt you again." She curled her fingers into his shirt and sniffled, calming herself. He refused to let it happen ever again. The door creaked quietly open and Ryou poked his head in.

"Sire... You're finally awake." He said, greatly relieved. He moved into the room and looked back out the door. Slowly, another demon entered. He kept his eyes averted and Seto moved to face him, somehow able to manage through the pain and lift himself to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Sire... I'm sorr-" Seto moved fast, standing and launching a hard punch across Malik's face. Malik stumbled back and brought a hand up to his jaw. His eyes met Seto's furious ones, and he looked away, lowering his hand. He knew he had deserved that. He knew he deserved more. He waited for another blow but it never came. His eyes shifted back to his liege but Seto had already closed the gap.

For a moment, Malik didn't know what had happened. He watched as his hands moved on their own and circled the demon lord. Seto had embraced him. Malik wasn't sure why, or even if this was really happening, but he found he could do little else than return the embrace.

"If you do such a moronic thing again, I will act more appropriately." Seto said to him. Malik felt him begin to shake, the strain of standing and his exertion making itself known. Malik walked him back to the bed, only a few feet away and helped him down. "What were you thinking?" Seto looked up at Malik, who smiled to him.

"I was thinking Lana was trying to take the throne. I had to be certain she was working alone. When I found she wasn't I worked my hardest to find out who her accomplice was. When I finally did find out, I used them to get some insight on the enemies movements and alliances. That uncovered the Fey's alliance with the vampires, and ultimately the human king." Seto paled. He remembered the Fey attempting to destroy him.

"Do... Do the fey know I'm alive?" He asked. Serenity looked worriedly at him. He was showing so much hesitation and...fear? She wasn't used to him being scared.

"Yes my lord." Malik reported. Seto tried to stand again, struggling to get somewhere and Serenity didn't understand why. If anyone was good against the fey it was him. His unique powers made theirs meaningless. Malik grabbed him as his body began to fail, and put him back on the bed. He chuckled a bit and Seto glared at him incredulously.

"Do you know what they're going to do to-"

"Absolutely nothing Sire. You don't think I would act in your best interest and completely forget such a large part of you, do you?" Seto fell silent and looked to Malik for elaboration. "Like I said, I used them. I used the little Saelie's contacts with the Fey to break in. I forced them to show their alliance publicly, so there would be no surprises." Malik grinned widely.

"How?" Seto asked after thinking for a few minutes, hoping Malik's answer wasn't 'by planning your ambush'

"I took one of them." Malik smiled down at him. Seto stared blankly at him for a second, taking in everything.

"Where... Where is he?" Malik glanced at Ryou, and Ryou motioned to someone just outside the door. A young Fey wandered in and Seto stared at him, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"Hi big brother."

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><p>"The land is ruined. The demons have destroyed this place." One wolf said to another. Joey marched over to them, overhearing the complaining and the two silenced themselves quickly.<p>

"And what do you thing would have happened if our forces were ambushed by theirs without the demons here?" He asked them rhetorically. "Four thousand against the nine packs in this area? And when we weren't expecting them? The trees will still grow. We still have cover and a place to live. The ground's just a bit more bumpy then before. It makes great hiding spots and trenches for our archers to fire from. If anything, it helps. I don't wanna hear any more." Joey demanded. The wolves nodded and he moved on.

"Well, you told them." A twig snapped, notifying them that they weren't alone. A few of them growled as someone approached. Joey waited a second, planning an assault if they should happen to be enemies, but he finally saw them and quickly stopped the others.

"Is... Is it really you? Yugi?" The short boy ran up to Joey, followed by Tea and they all hugged.

"I heard what happened Joey. I'm so sorry." He said a little teary eyed.

"Don't sweat it man. I got a pretty sweet gig going here." He said, pointing out his pack. Yugi and Tea looked around at the people surrounding them.

"All... All of them? You're all werewolves?" Tea asked, shocked. "I didn't expect there to be so many so close to home." She said, eyes roaming their temporary huts.

"Yeah. But it's a good thing. We're the main line of defense against the king. The demons can only help so much with their territories being so much farther away from the king. We live right between Eadenburg and Nasgaul, so we do our best to protect it." Joey explained. Yugi looked up at him with admiration. "What brings you here though? Aren't you supposed to be learning stuff?" Joey asked and Yugi and Tea exchanged glaces.

"When we heard about the king's attack, we decided to leave the tower. We've come back to Eadenburg and when we heard about you and Rebecca and Serenity... well... We had to see you." Yugi said. "The mages in the tower are with the king... and we didn't want to be forced to fight against our home." He finished and Joey nodded.

"So, you're gonna be our extra firepower, eh?" Joey smirked.

"No, We didn't study that kind of magic." Tea shook her head and Joey looked at them confusedly. Both Yugi and Tea smiled at him.

"What we studied will help you a lot more. We can grant a large amount of people a magical enchantment that raises accuracy, and we can make people faster, and more powerful." Yugi said.

"Yeah and because there's the both of us, we can do it to a lot of people." Tea added. "If we work together, we can perform a ritual. That requires one of us to cast while the other focuses on the spell and makes it more potent. It can multiply the effects of the spell by a great amount depending on the complexity of the spell and how well we've studied it." She finished. Joey stared at her, completely lost.

"Heh, I guess we'll just have to show you when the time comes." Yugi said as Joey tried to put together what Tea had just told him.

"Yeah I guess so. Glad to know you're on our side." He said, giving up.

"Always."

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><p>Serenity watched Seto clutch the little Fey that had just called him 'brother'. She looked at the two confusedly, then up at Malik and Ryou. They were both smiling down at them, but Ryou turned his gaze to her.<p>

"Is everything alright, Serenity?" He asked, and Seto turned his head to look at her.

"Y-Yes... I just... I don't get it." She admitted.

"This is Mokuba. He's my brother." Seto tried. Serenity looked baffled and he frowned.

"But... You're a demon... can demons become fey?" She asked. Seto shook his head and smiled.

"No, I was born Human." The boy said. "When demons, fey and vampires have kids there's a chance that they'll be humans. Seto wasn't, I was. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live forever with Seto. But I also didn't want to be a demon. I was born with a soul, and I wanted to keep it, so I became a Fey. Now I have both Seto and my soul." The boy said cheerily. Serenity looked at his small form.

"You're... You're so young." She observed and Seto chuckled.

"Not really. I'm almost seven hundred and thirty." He giggled, making Serenity glance between the brothers. "I chose to become a Fey when I was about twelve. I found I could control the rate at which I grew, including stopping it. I've been learning the healing arts at the magic academy in the Fey capitol for all these years. In about forty more years I was going to graduate. We were taught that a child's mind can absorb information without preset filters that adult minds develop when we grow up. Learning is faster when I'm like this, so I stayed young. I was hoping to graduate as fast as I could to get back to living with Seto." He said cutely, hugging Seto. "So... Um... Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Serenity. I uh..."

"She was a sacrifice." Seto explained, and Mokuba scrunched his nose and looked at Seto questioningly.

"People still do that?" He asked.

"We had to. The king was about to destroy us." Serenity interjected. Mokuba looked at her sadly and nodded.

"Is he being nice?" He asked, earning a playful glare from his brother.

"The very best." She smiled at the two and watched the boy lean into his big brother.

"I like her." He whispered loudly and Serenity held back a giggle. Seto tossed her a sideways smirk before his little brother popped his head back up. "I'm Mokuba!" he said, reaching over his brother to extend his hand. Seto winced at the pain his body had been constantly feeling and Ryou took a step forward.

"Young Master, perhaps your brother needs some rest." He said as Mokuba and Serenity's handshake ended. Mokuba nodded and hugged Seto more gently before climbing down off the bed.

"I'll see you both soon!" Mokuba skipped to the door, waving goodbye before being followed out by Ryou and Malik. Seto laid his head down on the bed, looking up at Serenity sitting next to him. He smiled lightly and shifted himself, patting the bed next to him. She crawled across it and snuggled up next to him. His world seemed right once more. Actually. It was even better.

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**So I might have sneaked onto the computer while my fiance was at work. Mwahahaha. What he doesn't know wont kill him. Unless what he doesn't know is the antidote to a poison that he's somehow become infected with. Then by all means, what he doesn't know certainly might kill him. But I digress. Woot for the update. I'mma try the same thing tomorrow, but he seems to be coming down with a flu or something, so he might not go to work... Here's hoping he's healthy... for everyone's sake LOL.**

**Also, due to the sneaky nature of how this was updated, I didn't have time to fully proofread it, so once again, if you see something that's spelled wrong or doesn't look right, let me know. Thanks all, love ya  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love**


	18. Back to My Roots

Chapter 18: Back to My Roots

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Serenity laid next to Seto, watching him sleep. It had been hours since Ryou left with Seto's little brother and Malik, but she couldn't get any sleep herself. He had come so close to dying. She never wanted to see him like that again. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to rest, but the images of the night came to her in a full rush. Her hand traced from her shoulder up, to where he bit her. She froze. Was he able to drain her the whole way? Was he able to separate her soul from her body? Was she... Serenity lifted herself and walked to the window. The sun was coming up and she had to know. She paused a moment and decided to wait for the sun to rise off to the side of the window, out of the direct line of light. She stood there for thirty five minutes, trembling and worrying about what she was going to find out.

Once the sun shed a good amount of light, she reached her arm out in front of the window. A few moments passed and she took a deep breath. She started to move the rest of her towards the window, but the sun felt a little too warm. Her skin tingled in the light, something she hadn't felt before. It didn't burn, but it wasn't right. She steadied herself and moved into the light entirely. Immediately her eyes hurt, and her whole body began to tingle. She put her hands on the ledge below the window and squeezed her eyes shut. Her arms and collar and face, the parts of her in direct sunlight began to hurt. It felt like she had been standing there for hours and she cried out, throwing herself from the window and slumping down against the wall, now in cool comforting shadows.

"Serenity?" Seto's voice responded to her cry. He slowly came into consciousness, looked to his side for her, then jumping up when she wasn't there. His eyes fell on the girl, sitting against the wall and hugging her knees to her as she sobbed into them. He got out of bed, the few hours of rest doing wonders for him. He still ached, but he noticed he was back to his usual healing rate. He knelt before her, trying to pry her face up, and asked what was the matter.

"There's... There's something wrong with me... It hurts. What did he do to me?" She finally looked up to Seto and his heart sank. Memories of Bakura draining her terrified him and he had been dreading the answer to that question ever since he became conscious again. He moved to the door and called for Ryou again. A few moments later he came in. He looked down at Serenity and frowned.

"I was not looking forward to this moment." He admitted. Both Seto and Serenity looked to him for the answer to the question that plagued them both. "I'm so sorry Serenity...But he...He made you a Dhampire." Seto sucked in a breath, but Serenity just looked at him.

"Dhampire?" Seto quivered a bit, holding her arm tightly.

"A half blood. A vampire that's still connected to their soul." Seto explained for her. She began to shake, not knowing what to make of this.

"Wh-what do... How did..." She couldn't think of which question she wanted to ask first.

"Your soul wouldn't detach from you. It should have, but it was stuck to you and he wasn't able to fully turn you." Serenity didn't know if she was supposed to be happy or sad or angry. She heard Seto growl and looked at him.

"What?" She asked, but he shook his head. "Please... What is it?" He looked up at her and his eyes seemed tormented.

"You... You'll die..." He said quietly. Ryou let his head sink and Serenity immediately tensed.

"Die? Now?" Sere sank into herself a little, but he shook his head.

"No, Dhampires live for a good five or six hundred years... But then... they die." His voice sounded empty. Like he was just reciting something from an old text. His eyes flickered up to her and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I... I wanted to turn you. To make you a Demon. You would have lived forever... here. With me." Serenity rested her chin on her knees as she hugged them to her.

"I wouldn't have turned. I wouldn't have wanted to." she admitted quietly. He looked hurt and confused. "I... I want to keep my soul, Seto. My mother always said it was the most precious thing. A gift... But I still have my soul. And I'll live longer with you." She brought a hand up to his face and cupped his cheek. " I do want to be with you... but... Seto..." He held her hand against him and sighed.

"I understand." He looked away sadly, but forced a smile to her. She felt awful and selfish, but she couldn't help what was inside of her.

"Neither of you are in any condition to be out of bed." Ryou said, taking on an authoritative air. Seto nodded and helped Serenity up. They walked back to the bed and laid down next to each other. Seto held her to him and kissed her head.

"You don't hate me for saying that, do you?"

"Never."

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><p>The next few days passed without issue. Seto had been informed about a few small attacks from the vampires, but nothing sanctioned. A few radical militias on their own agenda, trying to get vengeance for their king. They were quickly squashed by the rest of his army that had finally reached his castle. It was hard to believe almost two weeks had passed since Serenity came to him and the war started, but he had to accept the speed at which angry kings will move to get what they want. He was fully recovered and Serenity was trying to adjust to life as a Dhampire.<p>

She was healthy and healed, but something in her was broken. He had found her wandering around aimlessly numerous times and she seemed constantly out of focus. Seto had been worrying about her the entire time and it was distracting him from leading. Malik handled the nation while he was hurt, and now he was pretty much Seto's crutch.

"My lord, the people need to know you can still lead them. I cant keep giving orders and covering for you. You need to find a way to fix whatever problems you're having." Malik said to him. "I can help you for a few more days, but this needs to be dealt with. Is there someone she can talk to about this? Someone who will calm her down?" Malik asked. Seto thought for a moment. If her brother found out now, he would only panic, and he didn't have the patience for him. But he was her only family- Seto finally nodded and began to look for her.

"We're leaving the castle." Serenity almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn't herd him approach, but he was there, right behind her. She looked up at him curiously and a little worried. She didn't know if she had the courage to leave the safety of the castle yet. He pulled her against him from behind and sighed into her. "Please." He said, knowing she would be hesitant. She trembled a bit, but nodded.

Once outside, she felt... more comfortable than she thought she would. There was still a lingering fear, but the woods just seemed so warm. The sun had set only a few moments prior and the sky was still light with the remains of it's presence. Serenity took in a deep breath, and let the scent of the area surround her. Seto brought her to the south and she realized where they were going too late.

"I had expected you two to visit soo-" Melody stopped and took a shaky step towards Serenity. She hadn't fully formed, but something drew her to the young girl. "Who has done this to you?How could this happen?" The nymph said, looking between the two.

"There was an ambush. The Fey and Vampires joined with a traitor. They tried to use her against me." The nymph's brow furrowed.

"But you stopped them... right?" Seto turned away.

"I... was unable to." The nymph gasped and looked back at Serenity. "Now I'm worried about her." Serenity looked up at Seto and he glanced down at her too. " I want her to be safe, but I also want her to be happy." Serenity felt a familiar blush creep across her face.

"I... don't know what I could do to help."

"Maybe you can do something for her? I'm not entirely educated in comforting people." Serenity almost smiled. She felt fine enough in his arms.

"What happened?" Melody asked. As soon as the words were spoke, all Serenity's previous feelings of comfort and happiness died.

"Do you want me to leave?" Seto asked out of consideration. Serenity immediately snatched his arm, clinging it to herself.

"Dont go..." She pleaded and Melody looked between the two. The nymph removed herself completely from her stream and put a hand on Serenity's shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked again. Serenity looked up to Seto sadly.

"She's a Dhampire." The nymph looked her over Serenity, frowning.

"What beast did this?" She asked in a low growl. Seto had never seen her growl, and it sounded like waves crashing on rocks.

"The vampire lord. He's been dealt with." Seto said with a satisfied malice. Melody hugged Serenity to her.

"It was the worst they could do to you." She said, cradling Serenity' head.

"They almost turned her completely." Seto said blankly.

"No, they couldn't. Nymphs, even half nymphs cannot be separated from their souls. Even the demon coming ritual wont work." Serenity glanced up at her.

"But they can make me this?" She asked sadly.

"...Yes. There are few options for half nymphs to alter themselves. They cannot become the immortal races. The Demons, Vampires, and Fey."

"Can we... can I change now? Into anything else?" Melody shook her head.

"I don't know. I've never heard of this. I am, of course, a very seclusive person, but there is someone I always talk to." Serenity looked to her hopefully. "My mother." Seto and Serenity's jaws fell agape.

"How... Do you talk to an elemental?" Seto managed.

"It's easy. Nymphs Have a strong connection to the element they take after. My mother is the element of water." Serenity shifted a bit.

"But I'm only half... I don't even know if I have an element." She said sadly. Melody smiled.

"Of course you do. You take after your mother, and she was a wood nymph. Her element was nature, and it is yours as well. You would be speaking to your grandfather. My father. Nature." Serenity looked around herself, at the forest she felt was home.

"How... do I talk to him?" She asked before returning her gaze to the water nymph.

"Find him inside yourself." She said smiling, then took a seat at the banks of her small creek. Serenity sat across from her. "Focus on what you love the most. When you feel the most comfortable." Seto watched as Melody closed her eyes then turned down to Serenity and was surprised to see her glancing up at him. She quickly turned away and followed Melody's lead in closing her eyes and Seto smiled.

Seto took Serenity back to the castle after twenty minutes of meditation. Melody was growing weaker trying to sustain her physical form, and Seto was growing weary of trying to keep track of all the natural noises the forest made. Ever since the attack he had been cautious about the forest. It seemed like every little noise could be a threat, and Seto didn't have the same peace of mind he always had.

"I wasn't able to hear him..." Serenity said sadly.

"It's the first time you've ever tried. Don't give up." He tried. She smiled up at him as he scanned the area again.

"I wont. I feel like... I don't know, I'm closer to my family this way. It's nice." They rounded the castle gate and entered into the village. Finally Seto felt at ease again.

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**Ok, short chappie this one. I'm back to being allowed to write again, so all the sneaking around wont slow me down anymore. I just wish he wasn't such a girl lol. Also, I posted my pic of Joey and Mai on my deviant art account along with the Seto and Serenity pic. I know they're not the best, but I'm a bit proud. If you want to check them out, my account is **( Kehkansklover(dot)deviantart(dot)com/ )**  
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**Malik and Lana's picture is soon to come****  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~love  
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	19. Building Bridges

Chapter 19: Building Bridges

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"So... I see you're still a bit distracted... My lord, I-"

"Malik, I think it's time we move south." Seto cut him off, not wanting to hear the inevitable lecture. Serenity had been meditating for the last three days without success. The new method of finding herself had calmed her and helped her cope immensely but she still had the nightmares. She wouldn't wake, but she would whimper and cry while she slept in the day. It broke Seto's heart, and while she meditated, he took it as his opportunity to improve himself. He would visit the training grounds and work himself exhausted, trying to build up his strength and endurance. He wouldn't let anything like that happen again.

"South my lord? We... We are retreating?" Malik asked puzzled.

"Of course not. We will be meeting with the Djassarans. They are the next target along the list and I'm positive they would like to join a side before they are dragged into a war." Malik smiled. He sensed a familiarity with his friend that he had feared had died. His king was back.

"Shall I set up the meet?" Malik asked, pleased with the turnaround in his lord.

"Yes. Please." Malik left the room, leaving the door open as he did and Seto wondered why he would ever do that, but his questions were soon answered as someone entered.

"Hi big brother." Seto couldn't keep his smile away. Having both Serenity and Mokuba home and safe made him much more comfortable.

"How are you Mokuba?" The boy rounded Seto's desk and pulled a chair up to his brother.

"I'm fine, I wanted to talk to you." Mokuba was uncharacteristically serious, though it had been almost seven hundred years since he had seen him last, so Seto figured he had just grown up. Seto put his smile away and took on a serious atmosphere as well.

"What's up?"

"It's about the Fey. I wasn't allowed to hear much about the war, but when I heard the demons mentioned, I did some research. I learned as much about it as I could, and, I began to watch the Fey more closely. They claim to remain neutral, but I knew they were planning on using me against you. I couldn't fight them off, or defend myself, but I knew somehow you'd find me and get me, so I gathered as much info as I could." Seto's smile returned with a small silent laugh to himself. His brother was brilliant to say the least. "The Fey's army is small, but they know how to use their skills. They only have about nine hundred men, but they've been building special mobile rooms that shed light from below."

Seto cursed a bit. If they were successful they would be able to prevent the shadow demon's ability to just appear behind them. The shadow demons would be able to travel as far as just before the light, and would have to move naturally the rest of the way. It made it more difficult, but not impossible.

"They're using the vampiric traps to line the edges." And now it was even more difficult.

"Do you know how big these are? Or how they work?" Seto asked, but Mokuba shook his head.

"They were keeping it a secret from everyone, but especially me." He admitted. Seto pondered a moment, but a sudden thought relaxed him.

"I have an idea. The fey don't just have one weakness." Mokuba raised an eyebrow, but smiled at his brother. Seto always knew the answer, and was always able to solve the bigger problems.

"Ok... Let's get something to eat." Mokuba said, standing and taking Seto's hand. He wanted to spend some time with his brother.

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><p>"My lord, an urgent message from the demons." The tall lean man bowed low before his liege.<p>

"Very well." The king said, slouching.

"The royal ambassador requests an audience in your court." The king pondered a moment then looked back at his subordinate.

"Royal ambassador... Darryl?" He said trying to remember.

"No my lord, there is a new one. Malik." The man reported.

"Ah yes that's right. What element is he again?"

"Light, my lord."

"Very well. But only he is allowed to enter with his Lord. No other demons." The king decided.

"I'll inform them my lord." The young king leaned forward, thinking. It had been almost two hundred and twenty five years since the demons last spoke to his nation. He was only a prince back then, but they seemed friendly enough. It was a good enough experience that his father allowed them to spread their territory into his lands. They never caused problems and the people of his nation got along with them quite well. He wondered what they wanted. The man from before re-entered once more.

"They are a half a day away. They... Also request that, if you are able, they would like to meet with the alpha wolf leader." That grabbed the kings full attention.

"Why would they want... Never mind. You can go." If the demons were dealing with the wolves as well as him, they must be in trouble. He mused over the thought of the demon lord being in his debt, and wondered what he would ask for in return for his help. He motioned to a servant to come forward. "Get the Wolf leader." The servant nodded and left as well. Tonight would be interesting.

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><p>"Are you ready, Sire?" Malik asked and Seto nodded. He wasn't used to wearing his royal robes, and they threw off his balance and restricted his movements. Serenity giggled at his awkwardness.<p>

"This is just wrong." He said, trying to twist part of his shirt. Serenity giggled again.

"Maybe it is... but only because you're supposed to tuck this part." She said, taking the loose piece of his shirt and putting it where it belonged. He sighed heavily.

"I never liked this part of ruling." He said glancing down at the horridly ineffective outfit he was wearing.

"Are you hoping to match the numbers of the kings human forces with the ones to the south?" Serenity asked, and he looked at her blankly.

"You... Think the people to the south are humans?" Serenity glanced up at him, suddenly not quite sure. He smiled and shook his head. "I'll bring you with me. You can see for yourself. You wont be allowed in the meeting chamber, but you can at least mingle with the people." She didn't know exactly how she felt about that.

"Sire, are you sure you are ready for this? It's very straining." Malik asked cautiously. Seto only nodded and took Serenity's hand. She smiled up at him and he grabbed onto Malik's cloak. He closed his eyes and looked as though he was deep in thought. Suddenly his eyes snapped open as he looked directly in front of him. Serenity immediately felt dizzy as she watched the walls of the castle zip by her. Before long she was out into the village, then past the castle gates, then into the forest. She didn't feel shaken or as if her feet were going to fly out from beneath her, but her brain was easily confused by the sudden erratic movements that she had no control over.

Seto broke from his shadow meld when they made it to the river that divided the two countries a few hours later. It wasn't a huge river, but it seemed exceedingly violent. Seto moved to the river edge, but Serenity grabbed onto him, worried that the power of the crashing water would be too much. He smiled down at her.

"Melody, a little help?" He said as he turned back to the water. Serenity heard a familiar bubbly laugh and the water around him calmed. Soon the river's water was perfectly still and a thin sheet of ice splayed across the surface. Before long, the ice was solid enough to walk across. Serenity was glad it took such a short amount of time. The sun was still up and it was beginning to get really uncomfortable. While she remained in the shadows it was fine, but being in direct light hurt. They made their way across the river and past the rest of the clearing into the forest of Djassara.

Immediately Serenity felt different, and it wasn't due to the shadow meld Seto had started again. She knew then and there that there was truly something special about her forest. She wasn't as comfortable or warm in this forest. It was beautiful, what she could make of it at least, and very similar to her own, but it just didn't feel inherently safe to her.

The trip took hours, from the demon lords castle, all the way to the gates of this new castle, and by the time they reached it, the sun had set. Seto marched through the gate, the guards of which had obviously been warned that he would be coming and let him through. Serenity looked through the people of the city. They seemed normal enough, but something was off. They were all taller than average. Their features were delicate and soft. There was definitely something different about them. They were... beautiful. Every one of them. She couldn't help but feel a lure, a pull to all of them. Some sort of attraction that was not normal. Even to the women.

"Don't get any ideas. Elves are the offspring of Sirens and Nymphs. Their allure is magical, not real... like mine." He smirked down at her and Malik chuckled as she shot him a playful look.

"Already getting a little defensive are we?" Malik teased. Seto frowned at him. Serenity also looked up at Malik questioningly. "His lordship is a little jealous of the Elven King."

"I'm not jealous." Seto scoffed.

"Oh, right. You are just defensive and passive aggressive towards him for no reason." Seto growled a little, but Malik was having fun.

"Word is he had a little thing with the alpha wolf." Seto snarled. Malik paled and fell silent. Serenity, lost in all the conflict, just looked helplessly between them.

"Um... what..." Both Seto and Malik shook their heads in unison. She smiled at how alike they were.

"...That was low." Malik finally said as they headed towards the castle. Seto kicked a pebble as he walked.

"You too."

"Um... I don't mean to intrude, but... what's up with you two?" Serenity squeezed between the two quarreling men.

"While the Elf King was still a price he managed to take Lord Seto's betrothed." Serenity looked up at Seto, who had been looking away.

"Betrothed? You mean, you were... going to..."

"It was a long time ago. They didn't work out and she came crawling back to me, but I wasn't about to be played again." Seto said coldly. Serenity felt a little better, and decided not to press on Seto's sore spot any longer.

"And what about the Wolf leader?" She said, now looking at Malik. "Was she a girlfriend of yours?" Malik grimaced.

"Never! She... She is my sister." Serenity stopped. She hadn't thought to ask about his siblings, afraid to bring up the sore subject of his brother, but it was still a shock to hear he had another relative.

"I didn't know... you had a sister..." He nodded.

"They were both leaders, my siblings. They needed to have their own territories, otherwise they would collide. It normally never happens this way. Wolf babe's rarely survive birth, let alone three in the same family. Both of them were born wolves, but... I was not. There is always a chance that the baby is immune to the magical disease, and I was. It immediately made me feel out of place in my own pack. That's when I met Lord Seto. I turned to the demons. There was no territory for me and I wanted something different. I took my oaths and became immortal." He said, showing an emotion Serenity could not decipher.

"What were your oaths?" Serenity asked, curious. Both Seto and Malik looked down at her and she wondered what she had said that was wrong.

"We don't make it a practice to ask what oaths were taken." Seto explained and she looked confused. "Keeping our oaths are what grants us our power. If someone can find out what they are, it's that much easier to use them against us. We treat all demons as if they were born demons, that way no one knows which of us have oaths and can be broken." Malik chuckled, and Seto turned his gaze on him.

"It's alright. I don't think mine can be used against me. I will never go against them. I can never go against them." Seto eyes him warily, hoping he wasn't about to make a mistake and do something irrational that could endanger his friend. " My first oath was to forgive my family for their bitterness and hatred towards me for my decision. My brother wasn't perfect, but I could tell how my turning to the demons would hurt him... betray him. After that be became consumed by that anger. Really, It's my fault he acted the way he did." Malik shook his head, smiling sourly to himself, but continued. " The second... My second oath was to never betray my new friend." Seto froze. "My closest ally. My new family." Malik looked at his lord and smiled. Seto couldn't find words and settled on nodding.

Serenity could feel the warmth of this demon. He truly was a great friend to Seto. Once inside the castle, a man approached Seto.

"Hello, my lord. You've received the letter stating only you and the ambassador may enter, correct?" The man said, bowing low. Seto nodded and turned to Serenity.

"You'll be able to find something to do, right?" He asked.

"That... wont be necessary." A voice behind Seto made him stiffen. "Your lovely guest is welcome any time she wishes." The elven lord said, approaching Serenity and taking her hand. He bowed low and kissed it, causing Serenity to blush as Seto muffled his growl.

The man was indeed alluring. His coal black hair cascaded down around his slender face. His pale skin was a stark contrast to the darkness in his hair and even more so against his bright bold emerald eyes. He looked like something fashioned from Gods.

"May I introduce myself, little beauty. I am Lord Devlin of Djassara." He said, tilting his head again, but never removing his eyes from her. Seto restrained the urge to punch him.

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**Introducing DUKE! I don't know why, but I always have to make him a womanizer in all my fics... maybe because he is a womanizer... maybe. **

**I want to take a second to say; Holy carp (misspelling intended cause I'm a dork) 13 reviews in one day... that's gotta be a record for me. I was so happy to see them all. Also, I posted my pic of Lana and Malik. ( Kehkansklover(dot)deviantart(dot)com/ )  
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**To midnight blue08- I drew it back before Lana's betrayal was known. The pic of Seto was from when he and Joey were having their meeting and he pulled Serenity onto his lap to piss off Joey and the pic of Joey and Mai was from the chappie Needs of the Flesh. Hope that clears that up.**

**To Liljoker- Your reviews never cease to amuse me. I love all my reviews, but yours just pop. I wanted to let you know that. **

**So another chappie up. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love! **


	20. Real Love

**Lemon in this chappie. My warning is made. **

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Chapter 20: Real Love

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"If we can begin..." Seto said, not willing to wait any longer while the elf stared at _his_ nymph.

"Of course, this way." He said, glancing slightly to Seto, but immediately back to Serenity. He turned to a great set of doors and led them through them. Seto made sure that when they sat at the meeting table, he was between Serenity and the king.

"What can I do for you, Demon Lord?" He asked, finally looking only at him.

"Please, We're all friends here, formalities are not necessary." Seto insisted and the elf nodded.

"Fine, How can I help you, Seto?"

"I'm sure your scouts have informed you of the war starting up north." Seto said, gauging the elf's knowledge of the situations.

"I've heard a little. What does this have to do with me?"

"The human king's intention was originally to take my land to use against you." The King sat up, now interested. "I was wondering if you would like to join the war now instead of waiting until it came to that."

"Honestly, what would you do without me?"

"Excuse me?" Malik rose from his seat and stood behind Seto as his eyes narrowed.

"Well, if you had any control over the situation, you wouldn't be begging me for help." Seto knew this was to come. He had hoped the young king would be more mature by now, but only so much growing can take place when there is no need. "If it had been me up there, I would be done with the situation already." Serenity frowned. She knew Seto was doing the best he could and the elf king, though attractive, had no idea the pain and suffering Seto had been through for his people and hers. The elf king shot her another glance and smirk, flirting shamelessly with her right in front of Seto.

"My people, you know are stronger than yours inherently, I ask for your help only to speed the war to an end. The vampires and fey are on the human's side, and they can just bypass us. The humans have enough numbers to keep us busy, which means the fey and vampires can skip over us and go straight to you. You're not strong enough to take them." Seto said, rising and looking intimidatingly down on the boy. His anger had risen, Serenity noticed, and Malik held his hand on the demon lord's shoulder, trying to keep him in place. The elf lord's pride was now damaged and his anger had begun to rise. Serenity couldn't remain quiet any longer.

"Please, Lord Seto..." Seto glanced over at her, wondering why she chose now to use his title. "It's not his war yet..." she glanced down sadly as Seto wondered what she was doing. "If he wont help us, we will need you back at your castle, in case they strike again. There you can continue to protect me. You've tried, and I'm still grateful that you're in this... all for me." She brushed his cheek with her hand and looked away. Malik's eyes widened with realization and he quieted himself, letting Serenity's plan continue. Seto just stared blankly at her and it seemed like forever until someone finally spoke up.

"Protect you?" The king's voice called from the head of the table. Serenity smiled sweetly at Seto before turning to him.

"Yes... It started with my village. The king wanted it. He was going to destroy us. I went to lord Seto for help and he stopped the king's attempt, and well... the war grew from there." She informed him, looking up at Seto with admiration. Seto had been catching on.

"You never mentioned that, Seto. The poor lady's village, it must be difficult protecting that territory and all of your own..." The elf lord said pondering the war. "I wouldn't be able to help myself if such a beauty was to ask me for aid." He said, looking down at her. Serenity rounded Seto, who was uncomfortable with her approaching lord Devlin, and grabbed the elf's hand.

"Then you will help us?" She asked, begging him and looking up at him hopefully. He toyed with the motion in his head then glanced at the Demon king. A sudden smirk crossed his lips that immediately made the demons and Serenity uncomfortable.

"What will you give me in return?" He asked, raising his hand and cupping her chin. Seto felt sick. He didn't want anyone touching his little nymph. Serenity looked up at him, slightly shocked.

"What..." Her words failed her.

"You must realize, going to war for a single girl and not getting anything out of it in the end? It's a large risk for a king to make." Seto growled at him as he spoke.

"They'll be after you next! It's a war you'll fight with or without us, we're just asking you to join now with allies. You-"

"A kiss." The king said, cutting off Seto and looking down at Serenity. She swallowed hard.

"Absolutely not! Duke, you know better-"

"Fine." Serenity said, cutting Seto off as well. Seto panicked.

"Serenity you don't know what will happen. No!" Seto tried, but Duke had pulled her into him. He left no time for rethinking and pulled her lips against his. He made the kiss as long as possible, and when they finally broke, Serenity sucked in a slow breath. A warm aroma filled her. It was sweet and light. When she finally opened her eyes, he came into view. He was smiling down at her, and she felt a blush crawl across her face. He still had her in his arms, pressed against him, and where he touched her felt hot. Seto gripped her arm and pulled her away from Duke.

"It's a deal then?" He growled again, moving Serenity behind him.

"We will help you." Duke smiled up at him and Seto felt cold inside. Still holding Serenity, He turned to the door. "The wolf leader will be here tomorrow. We have rooms set up for you already, but we were not expecting a third. I can make accomoda-"

"She stays with me." He could feel Duke's smirk on his back as he not so gently escorted Serenity out of the room. Once inside the room prepared for them, Seto turned on Serenity.

"Do you know what a siren is?" He almost yelled. Serenity froze, looking up into his angry eyes. She shook her head and he sighed. "It's a seductress. They magically lure people into their snare. They either kill them then, or make them their slaves. Do you know how?" Serenity worriedly shook her head again. "A kiss." He said and she sucked in a breath.

"But he's... he's an elf..."

"Yes, half siren, half nymph." Seto reiterated. "He cant entirely control your mind, but he can influence you... Like now." He looked at her sadly. "You're thinking about him, aren't you." Serenity stared up at him, unable to answer. She had been thinking about the elf lord. His deep emerald eyes... his slender nose... his strong jaw... Serenity had to shake the image out of her head to clear her thoughts. By the time she looked to Seto again, he had moved away, sitting on the bed and facing away from her. "He did it again..." She heard him say quietly to himself.

No. She wouldn't leave Seto. The elf lord was handsome, but Seto... He saved her. He cared for her. Her pain tormented him. Her sadness plagued him. Her happiness caused him joy. He loved her. And Serenity could say without a doubt, she loved him too. She climbed on the bed, crawling across it to him and turned his face to her.

"His allure isn't real... like yours." Before he could speak again, she pressed her lips against his. he paused, thinking over what she had said. He hadn't expected her to act like that, but it made his blood rush. He moved to stand, crouching to continue the kiss. His whole body was facing her as he guided her back onto the bed. Her hair splayed beneath her and he tangled his hand in the auburn locks, tilting her head up and allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her hands worked to free him from the elegant clothing he hated so much and he slipped it over his head when she was done. He loomed over her on the bed unstrapping his belt.

"Are you sure?" He cursed himself for asking it, but he didn't think he would be able to stop himself if she said for him to this time. She answered him by moving to her knees and kissing him with more force than he was expecting. It set him on fire. He would definitely not be able to stop himself this time. He pushed her down and slipped his leggings off. His hands trailed up from her ankles, sliding her dress up and unveiling her perfect legs.

He kneeled over her lap as he lifted her to the sitting position. He was careful to unstring her corset gently, as he wasn't in the position to demand another dress should he tear this one. Once the corset was done, he whipped it off to the side and undid the ties on her shoulders, keeping the under dress up. He kissed her neck, making her arch her back, pushing her body into him, and he slipped the dress down. The beautiful dress now only covered her midriff, leaving almost all of her exposed to him. He kissed lower and lower, cupping one of her breasts and squeezing gently.

She moaned lightly and pressed herself into his palm. His hand glided gently across her tender skin, and his finger tips found her nipple. She gasped and jerked at his touch and he smiled against her skin. He sucked the other one into his mouth and she moaned out. His head lifted from her chest after a few moments and he blew lightly on the hardened bud making her moan again. He waited until she made eye contact again, but the little nymph reached out and pulled him up to her face. Kissing her deeply he placed himself at her entrance and she gasped into his mouth.

He slowly began pushing forward and she cried out against him. He loved the sounds she made. He thought back again to the first time he was going to take her and the idea of making her scream for him reentered his mind. He continued entering her and she bit her lower lip, muffling herself. She was so tight around him, he wanted to completely lose control. He caught himself, preventing him from tearing her apart, but not after roughly slamming in to her once. She screamed and dug her nails into him. The lines she scraped on his back didn't hurt, but they made his control falter more.

It took everything in him not to break her beneath him. He captured her mouth hungrily and stopped, getting her used to his size inside her. When she stopped whimpering he began moving again. He picked up a slow rhythm and she cried out softly with every thrust. He _loved_ the sounds she made. He could hear how she ached for him. His every movement provoked another delectable noise from her. He moved faster in her and began making his own noises as he grunted and moaned against her skin. Her tightness clung to him, driving him insane with lust.

"Oh!" He cried as her body lurched hard against his, tensing and squeezing him. He looked down at her and smiled as she spasmed and jerked uncontrollably. Her hands on his shoulders twitched, clenching and releasing as she came. "Call for me, Serenity." He asked. It wasn't a command. He needed her to call him.

"Seto..." she sighed, still not in control of her own body. He rocked into her again and she couldn't keep herself from screaming out. "Seto!" Her body writhed again and again. He kept moving in her and she couldn't even think straight. She didn't know what was real and what wasn't. It was like he shattered the world around her and there was only him. She couldn't control her body, her mind or her feelings.

"Serenity...Serenity... Serenity..." He called her over and over again, unable to say anything else as his climax approached. Serenity screamed out again, grabbing him and clinging him to her as if he was the only thing keeping her in this world. It broke him. "Ah!" He cried out as he spilled into her. It was his body's turn to tense. His muscles twitched and it took everything in him to keep from crashing down onto her. He was able to push himself over before falling onto the bed. Their breathing was ragged and the both gasped for air trying to regain some sense of the world.

When Serenity was able to move again, she rolled towards him and nuzzled herself into his chest. His eyes were closed and he was still breathing heavily. She rubbed her hand across his chest and up to his neck, pulling herself up to his ear.

"I love you." She said as she kissed him gently on the cheek. He turned his face to look at her and after a moment, pulled her against him and kissed her. She was his. No elven magic could rip her from him. When they separated she cuddled against him. He had thoroughly worn her out and she began to fall asleep in his arms. He wasn't tired, but he couldn't look away as she slept peacefully next to him. He loved her, and nothing could tear her from him, ever.

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**Woot. End of lemon. I'm getting crazy amounts of reviews and I love it. I've also added a feisty picture of Seto on my deviant art account. Link's on my profile or in the last few chappies A/N/. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	21. Hunger Rising

Chapter 21: Hunger Rising

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Serenity's eyes fluttered open to meet two blue ones. She smiled and sighed as she cuddled closer into him and he held her warmly.

"It's about time." He said, lifting himself and her. "The sun's about to rise." She glanced out the window. She knew she had to move fast if she wanted to get to the meeting hall before the sun rose.

"You could have woke me up." She said, hopping out of bed. She frowned as she looked at herself. She had fallen asleep in her dress, with it wrapped uselessly around her mid section. When she flattened it out it was still wrinkled beyond repair. Seto chuckled at her. He was already dressed and moved to help her with her corset.

"You look fine." He said, lacing it up. He had noticed though, that she didn't look fine. She looked like she was paler. Weaker. He was beginning to worry about her, but there was more he had to deal with before he could start with her. They went through the door and headed for the meeting chamber. They had barely gotten there when the sun rose, but the elf king and a woman were already present. Serenity looked her over and saw that she was beautiful. Black hair, like the king's cascaded down to her mid back while sapphire blue eyes pierced into Serenity's. The woman turned and glared at her, slowly walking forward. Seto intercepted.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Demon Lord? Bringing a Dhampire in here... Are you trying to taunt me?" Seto, Serenity, and Duke all looked at her shocked. "Please, you didn't think I wouldn't be able to tell did you? We've been warring with them for decades." She glared now at Seto.

"I didn't realize you had any issue with the Dhampires. That said, she is not affiliated with other Dhampires." He said plainly. She looked Serenity over again.

"And how do you know that?"

"She was turned in front of me. Forcibly." Seto said as Serenity looked away. The wolf looked her over once more and sighed.

"And she wasn't in league with the vampires before hand?" She said with distrust. Serenity felt herself gag. The thought of being on the vampires side... being near them, brought back memories she wished she didn't have. Seto glanced down at her as she straightened herself and frowned.

"She was with me from the start. I wouldn't press the matter any more." Seto warned turning to face Serenity and putting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. The door opened and Malik stepped in. Immediately, the woman shot him a venomous look.

"Hello Ishizu." Malik said politely. She continued her glare as he approached his king.

"I see you're flaunting your traitorous status around as if it were something to be proud of. Tell me little brother, this is why you dragged me here isn't it? You would be a fool to assume I would ever join you." Malik smiled lightly, as if she had just told a joke, and glanced at her.

"Actually, I didn't call you here at all, and I warned my lord that you would most likely not want to aid him in the war. After all, those Dhampires are just so pesky. I can imagine they're just too much for you, sis, so you joining us in this war... it'd be way over your head." He smirked. Seto shot him a questioning look. He knew Malik wasn't the type to jeopardize a possible alliance over personal issues, but he wondered if this specific issue was too personal to separate.

"My pack is the strongest, not just in this country but in yours too. I would watch what-"

"Merik is dead. The new leader is much stronger. Might even rival you." Ishizu froze. Malik's tone became serious and flat.

"...When?"

"A month or so ago." The wolf leader became visibly upset.

"You... You didn't-"

"No, I didn't. Some poor innocent boy Merik accidentally turned while trying to destroy did him in."

"How could you let this... no... you wanted this to happen."

"I never did. What I wanted was peace. For us to not fight anymore. If I wanted Merik dead, I was strong enough to do it. I wasn't willing to kill my brother though. I'm not willing to kill my family. I can only accept reality. I've had my mourning for him. This is for you." He held out a small gold earring and Ishizu trembled as she reached to take it.

"Fathers earring... He gave it to..."

"Merik. I found him and buried him. I gave him the wolf rights ceremony." Ishizu looked him up and down.

"What do you want with me?"

"We want your help. We need someone to watch the river. To guard the boarders while the elves assist us. Also to be on standby should we hear the king's rallying an extra large force." Seto said, rejoining the conversation.

"I'm expected to join the Demon Lord, who apparently works with a Dhampire, my sword enemy? And what would you have me do with the territory I would be leaving unguarded that the Dhampires want so badly?"

"I'll speak with the Dhampires. Perhaps I can convince them to sign... a temporary truce, just while I require the assistance."

"Not likely."

"I guess there's no other option." Seto finished. He turned to Serenity. "Do you want to stay here?" He asked, unsure of how she felt about Dhampires, and knowing how she felt about Vampires. She pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't know if I could... I guess I'd learn a lot about myself from them... but I don't think I'm ready... I don't think I can." She said honestly.

"Then I'll go alone. Malik, stay with her." Seto said, unwilling to leave Serenity alone in the elven kingdom. Malik nodded, guiding Serenity back to her room, but Duke spoke out.

"I was hoping you all would join me for an early lunch. I'm sure the lady's hungry." Duke said, eying Serenity.

"I'm afraid I've only put aside two days for travel, then I must return, so I will go directly to the Dhampires." Seto said, keeping his eyes trained on Duke.

"And I will accompany him, as I know the best places to meet with the Dhampires." Ishizu added. Serenity wanted to politely decline, but something inside her wouldn't listen.

"I'd love to." She found herself saying. Duke smiled as Seto's gaze snapped to Serenity. She held a hand over her mouth and looked worriedly at Seto, but he understood. He sighed and turned to Ishizu, and they both started for the door.

Lunch was uncomfortable in the least. Duke made small talk with Serenity, mostly revolving around anything brag worthy he had done in the last hundred years. She knew it should have been boring, but somehow she had been captivated. Every once in a while she would forget herself, and received a light, but firm kick from Malik. She couldn't express how grateful she was that he was there with her. Once the lunch was over, Malik rose and escorted Serenity back to her room. Duke seemed unhappy about it, but Malik was decisive.

"Thank you so much."

"We couldn't have Lord Seto returning while Lord Duke was spreading you. The demon lord killing the elf lord wouldn't do well for the alliance." Malik mused as Serenity stared at him in shock.

"He... Lord Duke wouldn't..." Malik shot a sideways glance at her.

"How do you think he found out about Avia? Lord Duke enjoys showing off in front of Lord Seto. Especially when he takes something from him in the process." Serenity was horrified. She knew he had her under his spell. She moved forward and hooked an arm around Malik's. He glanced down at her and scoffed, then pulled away. "I'd rather not be killed either."

"You wouldn't be." Serenity said, looking up at him.

"If you hadn't noticed, he's got a bit of a jealous streak." Malik laughed.

"But your oath..." Malik stopped. "You would never betray him." She slipped her arms around his again and he sighed.

"That's... True."

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><p>"What you're asking is impossible." A tall brunette Dhampire said angrily as Seto tried to reason with him. "The ground this... beast took from us, it's sacred. It's important, and over the last two hundred and ten years, we've suffered greatly for the loss. We will take the land if she leaves." She sighed and pinched his temples.<p>

"Sacred? You're going to let some fool superstition like that cause a two hundred year war?" Seto asked incredulously.

"You... Son of a-" Seto leaned in dangerously close.

"Listen, there's a greater scale war going on up north, and odds are if we don't stop it soon, there will be no more territory for you two to squabble over. You want to get caught up over a few miles of forest, and ignore the possible genocides of multiple species, that's your deal. Just know that, if the wolves ally with us, once the war is over, we'll owe them. And I do one hell of a favor." He threatened. The man tossed the idea around in his head. He highly doubted the demons would get involved with a insignificant land dispute... But he couldn't quite take a risk that big. Still, he wasn't joining lightly.

"One stipulation." Seto raised an eyebrow in inquiry. " We want the Dhampire you have." Seto's eyes shot over to Ishizu.

"I didn't say-" She started, in protest, but the Dhampire before them cut her off.

"We've got eyes everywhere, she was seen entering the elven capitol with you late last night." Seto growled and rose from his seat.

"She's none of your concern." He said, now truly angered. What was it with everyone wanting _his_ nymph?

"She's a Dhampire. She belongs to us. With us." He said. He was trying Seto's last nerve.

"Listen you weak child, she's mine. She was never yours. Never one of you. She's been with me from before she was turned, so don't pretend you lay any claim on her. " Seto slammed his fist down, emphasizing his point.

"So she was turned recently?" He asked with a smirk. Seto understood why, now, Ishizu had been warring with him. It took everything in him not to destroy the half blood before him. He nodded, too angered to speak fully and the Dhampire chuckled. "She must be in so much pain." Seto furrowed his brow, unsure of what he meant. "I assume she hasn't fed yet? She's getting weaker by the day? Paler? Less energy? It starts as a stomach ache but if you wait long enough... she might not make it." Seto's eyes widened. He completely forgot about the Dhampires need to feed. "And living with demons, it must be difficult to find humans willing to let her feed.

"I mean, seeing as Demon blood is too strong for most. Especially the newly turned." Seto was lost in thought and the Dhampire apparently thought that was... amusing. "A bit of warning," The words drew his eyes to meed the laughing man's, "The feeding process, it's a very... pleasing experience. Your best bet is to turn her over to us. Dhampires can feed off of each other. She'll find a nice one around the same age as her, and they can live happily ever after." His last tone sounded sweeter than the rest, but he shook his head and was back to being aggressive towards the demon lord.

"She's strong. I'm sure she will be fine." Seto snapped.

"I want to see her. To make sure you are telling the truth. To make sure she is there of her own free will." He said, letting the sweet tone he had held before slip out again. Seto glanced at Ishizu, and they nodded to each other.

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><p>When Seto returned, Duke had had his servants prepare dinner. The sun was beginning to set and Seto was surprised at the Dhampires ability to withstand direct sunlight for so long. Serenity hadn't been able to stand it for more than fifteen minutes. When Malik told Serenity that Seto had called for her, she had been excited and happy that he was back. Being in a strange place without him, even if Malik was there with her, just didn't feel right. It made her stomach turn. She hadn't felt well for a while and she knew seeing him again would finally put her at ease.<p>

When she rounded the turn to the great hall, he was standing there, facing forward and didn't see her. She ran up and hugged him tightly and he hugged her to him. He seemed quiet and pensive and Serenity didn't understand why. Finally, behind him, she saw the tall slim brunette and looked p at Seto questioningly.

"You idiot." The man remarked and Seto turned to him. "She's practically dying already." Serenity felt Seto stiffen against her, and looked worriedly between the two men. He couldn't mean her, could he? "I bet she cant even go out in the sun right now, can she?" Now Serenity knew they were talking about her.

"Dying?" She asked. Both men remained silent. Seto couldn't meet her eyes and the newcomer refused to look away. "But I'm fine!" She said. She did feel a little drained, but other than that, she didn't feel hurt or sick.

"She needs to feed now." The man pulled his shirt down and exposed his neck, offering it to her. Serenity looked up worriedly at Seto.

"I... I don't want to feed... I don't ever want to..." Seto sighed as her words drifted off into nothingness. He knew she would have to feed for the rest of her life.

"If it would make you more comfortable, you can feed off of me." Seto offered, but the man pushed him back.

"No. She cant." Seto growled at the insolence of the boy pushing him around.

"You said some can feed from demons." He pointed out, but the Dhampire scoffed at him.

"I said stronger Dhampires can. This is the first time she's feeding, and my guess is it's been over two weeks since she was turned." Serenity knew it was more like three, but didn't want to say anything. "Your blood would only kill her." Seto clenched his fists in defeat. He would have to allow her to feed off of this... Dhampire. He watched as she slowly approached the Dhampire and positioned herself in front of him. It made him sick. He couldn't wait until he had her back in his castle, far from these people.

His breathing stopped as she lowered her mouth onto the Dhampire's neck.

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**Sooooooooooooo sorry for taking so long to update. I've spent the last few days carting my mom to and fro. She had surgery on her knee and I had to make sure she got everywhere she needed to go. So I've been a bit busy. Hope you're all still there.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	22. Impatience

Chapter 22: Impatience

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"Ugh..." The Dhampire moaned out as Serenity's teeth broke through his skin. Seto clenched his fists tighter. Next time she would feed sooner, and only ever on him. The Dhampire moaned again and Seto couldn't watch. He ripped his eyes away, only for them to be pulled back as he heard Serenity's muffled gasp. Her fingers clung to his shirt, and his arms wrapped around her. Seto felt like he was about to vomit. They moaned and gasped against each other until Seto could no longer take it. He reached forward and pulled Serenity off of the Dhampire.

Serenity's knees gave out and she fell into Seto's arms as he steadied her. The Dhampire took a few moments to adjust himself and finally opened his eyes, looking at her while breathing heavily. This girl was simply intoxicating. He had fed, and been fed on many many times, but this girl gave sensations like none other. He had only ever felt something close when he had fed on an Elf. But the siren's blood inside them tasted bitter, and offset the good feelings. Obviously, by how jealous the Demon lord had been, she was just as pleasing in her other senses as well. It was a pity she was his.

Serenity's fingers curled around Seto's shirt and he looked down at her. She looked the same as after they had... his blood ran cold. Seto's eyes were ripped from her as the Dhampire chuckled a bit.

"I never imagined... a Nymph-Dhampire. The feeding is a feeling I've never experienced before." He said. He took a step towards the girl, but Seto remained between them. "If you ever are in need of someone to feed on again, I would be more than eager to oblige." He bowed low.

"That wont be necessary." The Demon Lord lifted the girl and stalked towards her room. Before leaving the hall entirely, he turned back to the Dhampire. "I trust we have a truce?" The Dhampire bowed again, smirking at him.

"Temporary truce. Yes. My name is Tristan. Feel free to contact me for anything, anything at all." He said, now looking at Serenity. Seto growled and continued down the hall.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't know..." Serenity tried, but Seto shook his head.

"I did. I also knew you had to do it. Maybe I should have left you at home." He said sighing.

"I... I wish I was smarter. I wish I knew these things. All the things you know."

"I only found out about the feeding's...effects recently. But you have time to learn." He placed her down on the bed, but she sat up.

"I wish it was you." He smiled down at her.

"Next time it will be." Serenity felt horrible that she had acted that way, even felt that way with another man, and in front of Seto. Ever since she fed, she had felt better. Actually, she felt great. She noticed she had more energy, and her body didn't ache or anything. She felt strong. Glancing up at Seto, she wondered if it would feel as good, feeding from him as it had from the Dhampire. She almost assumed it would feel better, if everyone hadn't said his blood could kill her.

Actually, now that she thought about it, they said when she's weak it could kill her, but she had never felt better than now. She wanted so badly to make it up to him, the way she went against him with Duke, and the way she acted and felt with Tristan... Serenity rose to her feet and Seto frowned down at her. He was obviously worried at the strain she had been putting on herself over the last few days, but he didn't know she was all better.

Seto looked down at the girl. Her color had come back, and she seemed happier, but he still couldn't shake the fact that he had forgotten about Dhampires need to feed. It was basic knowledge. Vampires needed to feed once every other day. Dhampires needed to feed every other week. Yet he hadn't even thought about it for over three weeks now. She could have... Seto's eyes widened as Serenity pulled herself against him. She made eye contact with him and he smirked down at her, but it soon faded as she brought her lips to his neck.

"Seto..." She whispered into his ear. "I want you to feel...what I feel." Seto's breath caught. She couldn't honestly be thinking about drinking his blood, could she? She had been far too weak not even minutes ago, and though now she seemed strong again, he didn't want to risk it.

"Serenity, it's too soon." He said, willing his body to move her away from him. It wouldn't budge.

"I'm fine. I'm strong. And I want to get them out of my head, and you back into it." She said honestly. She wasn't comfortable with her actions throughout the day and wanted him. Only him. "Please?" She begged him sweetly, and he knew she had him. All she ever had to do was ask him like that and he would fold. He had to struggle though, it couldn't be too obvious.

"Serenity..." He said disapprovingly, but it was all he could do. She kissed him along his strong throat, trailing soft paths down to his collar bone. He tried to muffle a moan, but failed and she knew she had him. She reached down, pulling at his shirt when a knock at the door interrupted them. A growl met the intruder, but to Seto's amusement, it emanated from Serenity this time.

"My lord, we must be heading back to our castle." Malik's voice sounded through the door. Her experiment would have to wait until they got back. But Seto didn't want her to win. Not this time. She had had him twisted around her little finger, and now it was his turn. He cupped her bottom, pressing her against him firmly, and she gasped. Sliding one hand up her back and finally behind her head, he pulled her up and kissed her hungrily, making her moan into his mouth and melt in his arms. He pulled back as she tried to catch her breath and smirked down at her maliciously.

"So, home then?" He grinned as she flustered about over his passionate and short lived tease. His plan was successful, yet it did backfire to a certain degree. He would have to make sure Malik understood that when they got home, they were not to be disturbed by anyone, no matter the reasoning.

He walked briskly out the room, followed closely by a blushing Serenity.

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><p>"Cant you control those creatures? I thought you were a leader." The king growled.<p>

"Sir, you misunderstand me. I am the leader of the Fey. The Vampires are easy to control so long as they are unified, and the recent loss of their king, who has ruled for over one thousand three hundred years, has sent them into a downward spiral of anarchy and chaos. No one can control them now. They have to fix themselves before they are of any use to anyone. I would just eliminate them." the Fey lord shrugged.

"Listen Pegasus, we might have a great number of legions, but I want a swift victory. I want to move into the lands to the south immediately. I want that fountain!" the king slammed his fist into the stone arm rest of the throne he had been situated on top of. The Fey glared up at him, but shrugged.

"Listen, you're losing men by the hour. Do you really want to lose us too? The only reason we joined you was to kill the demon lord, but you seem to fail at every attempt. It might be easier just waiting for him to die. My armies don't need you. My men don't have to fight. You start making demands of me, and I'll walk. It seems my apparent youth has you fooled into thinking I'm easily controlled, but it is you who is the youth to me. You're closing in on the end of your days, but the end of mine are no where in sight. I will live to see many kings sit on that throne and will be here when it crumbles to dust. Make demands of me again, _'sire'_, and you wont live to see what happens." The Fey walked away angrily, leaving the King alone and afraid. He needed that fountain. The waters. He needed them soon.

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><p>"Alright... pickin' off vamps is getting boring. It looks like they're getting weaker and they don't attack often anymore." Joey hopped down from a large rock and landed not so gracefully next to Mai.<p>

"You mean you want to fight?" Tea asked, surprised. Joey chuckled a bit.

"I've always wanted to fight, you know me. Now I'm just putting it to use." Yugi and Tea sighed as Mai smiled up at him.

"We're so lucky to have him." She said and he returned her smile. He moved towards her but suddenly a light burst forth and the tree next to the rock he had been perched on before splintered and fell. Joey rushed forth, grabbing Mai and pushing her against the rock for safety while Tea and Yugi jumped out of the way of the falling timber.

"What the hell!" Joey yelled, and looked over to the mages to check their safety.

"That's Faerie Fire! It's Fey magic!" Yugi cried as more fire rained down from the sky. Before anyone could do anything else, Mai turned, ripping through her leathers and became a hybrid. A loud howl emanated from her, calling the packs to alert and Joey followed suit. It wasn't long before the wolves gathered and their glowing foes were apparent. Joey moved forward, but had to halt to dodge another blast. The covering fire was too much for him to gain any ground and he was beginning to wonder if there was any stop to their powers. He had heard about the Fey. The immortal creatures with souls and bodies. Their powers were supposed to be immeasurable.

Would his pack be able to survive them? How many would have to die to defend themselves? How many was he willing to let die for their war? He watched as fire blasts took out trees, bushes and wolves like they were paper. Joey was starting to think the battle was futile. This was his first war against Fey, and they were good... too good.

"Get down!" Yugi cried, jumping up onto the rock. Many wolves obeyed and Joey looked up at his friend. Yugi muttered something that Joey couldn't hear over the sounds of the fighting. The wind picked up and Yugi's robes bellowed out behind him. He raised his hands and a warm blue light engulfed the wolves. All of them. Joey turned to the battleground and his eyes widened as a hellish blast came upon him. The flames hit him square in the head, knocking him back. He shook his body, but noticed the blue aura absorbed the effects of the blast entirely.

His wolfish form made a toothy smile as he charged forth, leading the others into a battle now even.

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**Ok, short chappie this time around, but a good one, I think. So sorry again for the long delays in updating. I cant wait to read your reviews. Hopefully they'll continue to be good ones. I put up two more pics in my deviant art account. One of Serenity and Duke, and the other of a spoiler for a future chappie. I suppose it doesn't mean much now, but if you really look into it, you might be able to piece together a thing or two.. Or it could just be a simple pic that looked cool, but the scene will happen, so it's going to be categorized as a spoiler. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	23. All's Fair in Love and War

**Warning! Lemon 3**

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Chapter 23: All's Fair in Love and War

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The tides of the battle had changed, and the wolves were closing in on the last of the Fey. They had pushed back the assaulters all the way to the edge of the forest, and were beginning to finish off whomever didn't flee. Mai stayed by Joey's side the entire fight. They worked well as a team. He would pick a target and she would dart around them, gaining their aggression and leaving them vulnerable to Joey's attack. Yugi had summoned some sort of floating disk, and hovered above them with Tea, casting spells to strengthen and toughen the wolves, while Tea healed those that had fallen.

The two pairs seemed unmatchable and the wolves took notice to the young leader's skill and teamwork. They were right about to finish the Fey and quell the assault when the ground began to shake. Yugi ordered his disk to hover higher, away from the trembling earth, but it was no use. A simple fisherman's net was tossed over them. It seemed to have some sort of iron thread laced into the weave of the rope, and claws and teeth could not tear it. Yugi and Tea tried helplessly to remove the rope, while Joey and Mai moved to free themselves from the range of it.

Just as soon as they had taken a step farther from the Fey, metal bars emerged from the ground, springing up and cutting off their retreat route. Every direction they tried proved in vain as more walls of steel rose, eventually caging them in. A loud zap emanated from the bars and they could see a red current flow through the metal, surrounding them. Not a moment later, Yugi and Tea fell into the cage, the disk disappearing from beneath them. Joey transformed back into his human form and banged viciously on the walls.

"What the hell is this!" He yelled, finally turning to the others. Mai remained in hybrid form, and Tea looked at him, afraid and trying to think up a way out. Yugi was the last Joey saw, and he didn't seem well at all. He began patting himself down, as if he were looking for something desperately.

"Spirit? Spirit!" He cried again and again, and Joey ran to him, trying to calm him.

"What spirit? What are you talking about?" Joey yelled, trying to get his attention.

"The spirit inside him!" Tea tried to explain. "He accidentally sealed another soul into himself during an experiment a few years ago... This cage... It's an anti magic field generator. It counteracts all magics in the area, which is why we cant cast to get you out of here." Yugi began to sway as Tea's words stopped. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell into Joey's arms.

"Yugi!" Joey cried, but the boy began to stir again. He seemed different. Joey couldn't put his finger on it, but something wasn't the same in him.

"Yugi is fine. His magics cannot penetrate this field, but mine can." The boy placed a hand onto the steel bars and closed his eyes. He breathed deep, and in one motion, his hand passed into a shadow on the cage and he ripped is arm to the side, breaking a large hole into it.

"All right!" Joey cried, jumping through. The Fey just outside began to scatter and panic as Joey and Mai ran them down. Tea began casting a spell on them and before long their wounds slowly healed up, their old ones and new ones earned fighting the Fey now. Yugi's body moved through the cage and disappeared into a shadow. He reappeared a few minutes later behind the Fey and grabbed one from behind. Tea muttered something and the Fey froze, unable to even blink. Between the wolves and the humans, the small number of Fey couldn't keep their ground and fled. Joey and Mai followed, howling in victory as the last of them disappeared.

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><p>Serenity entered Seto's room, but didn't have time to turn to face him as the door closed behind her and a pair of strong arms pulled her back and pressed her against the wall. Seto loomed over her and moved into her.<p>

"Setting me off like that just before we left was not a smart move." He said, beginning to smirk. Serenity looked up at him with caution and curiosity. She knew he wasn't mad, but she wasn't positive of his exact intentions... though she had a good idea of where they were going. He pressed himself against her and nuzzled his face into her neck, kissing softly down her throat.

"Mmmmm..." Serenity trailed off, bringing her arms up and clinging him to her. He moved quickly, tearing off the fabric of his shirt, fully content with never wearing the damned thing again. Serenity felt a fire inside that made her shiver right to the bone. This intense cold heat was hard to deny and she brought her arms around to his front and traced the lines of his chest. He purred, enjoying her light touches, but before long she stepped forward and scraped her fangs against his neck. He shivered, but pulled back. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to risk her drinking his blood.

"Seto... I can do it... it's alright." She pleaded. She was aching to feel that sensation with him, and he couldn't help but admit he was curious as well. But he wasn't willing to risk her life for it. She stepped forward again, this time kissing him softly on the lips. He could feel his resistance wavering as he fell deeper and deeper into the kiss. Her Nymph blood taunted and teased him. She smelled of the earth. Rich heavy scents, laced with wildflowers and citrus. It was unbearable.

He lifted her against the wall and pressed himself against her, pinning her in the air, but she didn't mind. She wrapped her legs around him and continued to kiss him and stroke his hair. He fidgeted with his belt until, finally, his pants fell off of him. Now that they were in his own home, he was able to demand anything he wanted, like a new dress for Serenity. He reached behind her, wedging his arms between her back and the wall, then grabbed the fabric and ripped it out from behind her. Serenity gasped at the sudden coldness against her back.

She didn't have time to recoup from the sensation before she whimpered out as he placed himself at her entrance. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he eased forward and pulled back out, over and over, barely moving and teasing her endlessly.

"S-Seto, please!" She begged, desperate for him. He smirked, but it was short lived as she jerked her hips towards him, burying him into her.

"Ugh!" He grunted and she cried out, twisting in pleasure. She broke him. He began lunging forth and she cried out again and again. He moved his hand under her and pressed his chest against hers, supporting her. His free hand braced against the wall, steadying him as he moved. He pounded mercilessly against her and she twitched and trembled, calling for him.

"Please... let me... please..." He felt her teeth scrape against his neck again and wanted to say no, but he couldn't make the noise. An insignificant pain twinged against his flesh followed by a wave of intense pleasure that sent him over the edge. He could barely hear her moaning against his skin as he cried out and came. His whole body tensed and writhed over and over as he continued to come, unable to stop himself. He could feel Serenity tightening around him, making him come harder and harder. It was endless, the sensation, the embrace, the pleasure... his mind went numb and he was finally able to form words.

"Sereni-... I...enough...Enough!" His body failed and they both fell to the ground. Sprawled across the floor, he dragged her to him. His body was still twitching and moving on it's own, and he noticed her's was doing the same. It felt like a drug. Something that caused so much pleasure it almost hurt, but he needed to feel it again. He needed her to do it again. He tried to lift himself, but fell back down. He needed rest. She completely took everything out of him. In every way... And yet...

He lifted a hand to brush the punctures on his throat and shivered. When he looked at her she was watching him curiously. He pushed himself up and rolled onto her. He watched her gasp and look up to him with widened eyes.

"Bite me." He commanded. Serenity paused for a moment. She had only just obtained control over herself again and was unsure. His eyes pierced her mind and she slowly obeyed. He felt the familiar pang and immediately his blood rushed. He lifted himself onto his knees while she suckled his throat and ran his hands up and down her body. His left hand cupped her bottom and she squealed against his neck while his right hand grasped her breast and squeezed gently. Her teeth broke from him as she gasped.

He pulled her up on top of him and placed himself inside her. He guided her hips as she started to rock him into her. Her head fell back as she moaned, picking up speed and gnawing on her lower lip. Seto grunted and sighed as she rode him, and eventually his arms fell, giving her complete control. She rocked harder and her body convulsed as she came, forcing her down onto his chest. Her breathing was heavy and uneven. When she finally could move again, she started the process over, only this time, she didn't have the strength to stay up.

She picked up speed again, but instantly began coming. He rolled her back onto the ground and began pumping into her. She cried out over and over, unable to stop. He smirked, bot yet content with her cries and pushed harder.

"Seto!" She screamed out. He continued nonetheless. She called him over and over, clinging to him desperately as her body weakened, but he wouldn't let her rest. Just like what she did to him. "S-Se-AH!" Her body shook violently again. He wasn't ready yet... He wouldn't let himself be ready yet. He wanted the only thing to ever come out of her to be his name. His mind flashed to Duke, then the Dhampire who's name escaped him, and he thrust again. She would only feel this way with him. He would make sure of it.

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><p>"So... Uh... This spirit... How?" Joey couldn't exactly find all the words necessary to form all the questions he had for Yugi.<p>

"Well, I was working on refining the essence of a few ancient runes and I was using the same magic the Fey use to join their souls with their bodies, hoping the magic I was casting into the runes would become permanent instead of a limited use, but... well I guess I woke a sleeping soul inside of me."

"A sleeping soul?" Joey asked, shocked.

"Yeah, It's rumored that the people who have the ability to control magic were born with two souls. One mature soul, given by the Demonic or Vampiric ritual, is held until a soul that resembles it is brought into the world as a newborn. So far, very few have awakened their sleeping souls, but I guess I was a lucky one, huh?"

"Yeah.. But kinda creepy." Joey said, making Yugi's smile fade into a glare.

"Hey, it saved your butt didn't it?" He yelled, making Joey laugh out.

"Okay, Okay!" Joey turned, still laughing, but he quieted and became serious. "Sorry, Yug, but I've gotta go handle some things." He started towards the south, stopping to help a pack member lift the body of a fallen wolf and begin to carry it back.

Yugi, Tea and Mai helped with the aftermath of the battle. Once they bodies were accumulated, even those of fallen Fey, they readied an already turned earth for burial. They all started themselves for the funeral and gathered around the hole. They had lost over two hundred wolves in that battle, and the Fey only seem to have lost not even half of that. Joey stepped up with a few other leaders and cleared his throat.

"Everyone... It's been a rough day, a rough battle. There's going to be more to come. I wont blame you if you want to leave." A few of the wolves began moving, heading off into the forest, content on keeping their lives as many of them whispered and chattered worriedly. The other leaders glanced between themselves, wondering why he was so lenient on them "But," Everyone stopped and the crowd went silent. "These... These men and women... They didn't leave. They chose to fight, and die. They are heroes. They wanted to protect. Not to selfishly run. Not just protect themselves. They wanted to protect their land. Their way of life. Their families and friends. So walk away. Live and be happy... at least... while it lasts." Joey turned away from his audience, not caring whether they chose to stay or go.

He walked towards the fallen wolves and fey and said a few words of prayer. One by one, the leaders stepped forth, paid their respects and began burying the bodies. Mai stood next to Joey, silently bidding those who fell goodbye, then turned to him, then past him to the rest of the packs. Joey glanced over them and noticed, not one of them left. They all stood, resolute in the path they were choosing. A smile crossed his lips as he thought of what an honor it would be to fight, and possibly die along side these wolves.

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**Ok, this chappie is finally up. Thanks for all the reviews! It's funny, when I look at it, chapters 1-****12 have an average of 2 reviews, while the others have an average of 10... and poor chapter 8 has no reviews at all. Lol, you can really see when the story gets good. **


	24. Casualties of War

Chapter 24: Casualties of War

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Seto paced the meeting hall, waiting not so patiently for his guests to arrive. He had been eager to meet his allied commanders for the week that he had planned the conference. The past six months had been especially brutal. After the Fey assaulted the wolves, Joey, backed by Seto, the other pack leaders, and Duke, began their offensive. There were countless small battles, confrontations and assaults, and a few bigger ones. Seto's allied forces lost more than a thousand troops, but he knew the king had lost five times as much. He had hoped the war would be over by now, but in the past he had withstood over twenty year wars, and his father before him a hundred year war.

"Sire, The wolves are here." Malik informed him. Seto nodded and followed Malik to the greeting hall. He welcomed them, approaching Joey first. It was hard not to believe the wolves would remain separate packs after the war was over. It seemed somehow this wolf of not even a year, would lead the next united wolf front. He had earned the respect and admiration of the majority of the packs, and there were exceedingly good odds that many of the alpha's would yield leadership to him. After greeting every leader he led them into the meeting room.

"We are waiting on the southern wolf alpha and the Elven king." Seto informed them. The leaders chatted among themselves. Many of them hadn't talked much with the wolves to the south, some hadn't even heard of them.

"Sire, They're here." Malik announced. Seto rose, but Malik had already led them to the room. He bowed respectfully to each of them and they all sat.

"If you will allow me, I would like to start the meeting by saying, the amount of casualties my troops are suffering is unacceptable." Duke began. A few of the pack leaders muttered to each other, glaring at the Elf. "I don't believe you are accurately playing them to their respective strengths and weaknesses." He finished. Seto sighed.

"Any casualty is unacceptable. It is also, however, unavoidable." Seto stated. Duke glared at him, ready to rebut him, but Seto continued. "I apologize if you believe I am giving your troops orders that do not give them the entire strategic advantage that you see fit. You'll forgive me if I'm busy leading the army from the front of the battle field. It's hard to hear orders over the screams of your enemies." A few of the pack leaders, including Joey snickered and glared at Duke. "Though, you would be more than welcome to lead them yourself." Duke's attitude faltered. Seto didn't think he was willing to throw himself into danger like the rest of them would.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, with everyone participating in giving advice, and tactical strategies for better use of their man power. Finally, they came up with a few game plans, minimizing casualties and maximizing efficiency of their forces. The meeting ended with a magnificent feast, where the leaders could relax and get to know each other better. Many of the leaders brought a family member or an adviser.

"Good to see you again." Seto greeted Mai. She smiled and nodded to him while taking her place at Joey's side.

"Hey, you been taking good care of my sister?" Joey asked in a tone he reserved for when he talked to Seto about his sister. He didn't take the news of her becoming a Dhampire very lightly. For a while, he refused to talk to Seto, even during assaults, making the other leaders communicate for him. Serenity eventually talked Joey into forgiving him, or at least, being civil to him.

"She's fine. She'll be here soon." A few minutes later, after some small talk, Serenity did join them. She wore an elegant red and cream colored dress. Seto had picked it out for her himself, but every time he saw her in it, she took his breath away. She blushed as she saw him and went to hug her brother.

"Hey, you've been well, right?" He asked, holding her at arms length and looking her over. She nodded and moved to Seto's side, taking his arm. The night went smoothly, except for a few awkward moments where Duke insisted he dance with Serenity. She, still under his influence, could do little to refuse. Finally, Seto decided that two dances were enough and he cut in. They were barely through the first measure of the song when the entire keep shifted. Shrieks and screams emanated from the crowd as the leaders ran to windows to assess the situation. Faerie fire littered the sky, their numbers imitating the stars in the night before blasting into the side of the castle walls and the keep itself.

Immediately bells gonged, and beacons lit as demons poured out of the caverns below the city and Elves took up guard on the walls, shooting down just outside of view.

"Get the wolves out of here!" Seto commanded.

"What are ya doing? We're gonna fight too!" Joey argued as a demon attempted to pull him away. The other leaders chimed in with similar notions but Seto dismissed them.

"Your troops aren't here, and I'll be damned if you're killed while in my home. Stay with your loved ones, I'll fight out there. Duke will assist me." He looked to Duke, who gave a confused glance in return. It was an order, but he had to accept.

"We're gonna fight. You cant hold us here." Joey demanded, stepping in front of the others who fully supported him. "You've got the best of the best here, and if we cant die for our war, we sure as hell wont ask our men to do the same." His words were followed by grunts of approval and nods. Seto sighed, then smiled at them.

"The wolves are lucky to have such leadership." He said and led them down the stairs to the battle.

"Mai!" Serenity called, watching as Mai followed along with some of the others in the room.

"Sorry hun, It's my battle too." She said, winking and disappearing down the hall. Serenity felt utterly useless. She went to the window, where the few who remained gathered to watch the battle below.

Seto led the group to the northern gate of the castle. He personally led a group of fire demons along with the other leaders. The fire demons blasted at the fey, granting them cover while they got close enough to fight. The human troops rushed forward before the demons and wolves could reach the Fey. Seto tore through two of them as he aimed to go straight for the Fey. He thought of melding into the shadow but refused to leave his team behind.

Joey threw an enemy into a tree, removing him from the fight and turned to move forward. A sword pierced his shoulder and exited through the back of him. In the heat of the battle, his adrenaline took over and the shock of the injury disappeared. He charged forward, startling the soldier and transformed inches away from his face. Joey bit down hard , ripping the man away from his sword. He transformed and gripped the handle to remove the blade from his shoulder, then threw it at the soldier, ending him in the spot.

He heard something behind him and turned to see another blade coming down. He moved to block himself, but the blade was too fast. Time seemed to slow as he watched the sword come down, aiming for his head. Before the blade struck, the sword veered off course last minute as an arrow pierced both his arms and took him off balance. Joey didn't hesitate to take the man out, then looked in the direction from which the arrow flew.

"What would you do without me?" Mai asked smiling and preparing another arrow. She aimed and fired at a man ready to strike another wolf.

"What are you doin here?" Joey demanded. "You should be inside, safe." He said as he redirected another attack.

"Well," She said, knocking out the soldier on Joey with a swing of her bow. "I didn't want to miss out on the fun. And you should be thanking me." She hastily shot two more arrows, both at the same target, killing him before he could take more ground. "I saved your life." She offered him a kiss and continued forward. Joey shook his head and smiled, following her.

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Seto struck forward and removed his first Fey from the fight. He held no love for the bright creatures his brother had misguidedly idolized in his youth. Their leader had openly tried to kill him many times and Seto was beginning to think it was his turn to attempt assassinations. Malik appeared at his side, grinned at his lord, then moved forward.

Seto and Malik had fought side by side many times, and were quite the team. They moved deftly, attacking and blocking, always able to pull each other from a deadly blow at the last moment while dealing more damage then when they had to worry about protecting themselves. They moved with grace and speed, plowing through Fey and humans alike. They made amazing headway, getting to the heart of the enemies and leading the rest of their group through.

Seto looked back and noticed the path they were forging was being secured by the other leaders and far off in the back, Joey and Mai brought up the rear. Malik rushed forward, unwilling to wait for his lord any longer. Seto held himself back, assuring that every leader was alive and well. Many had wounds, but none seemed to be slowing them down at all. Seto smirked but the smile faded as a scream alerted him to the danger up ahead. He turned in time to see a spear flying towards him as Malik called to him, trying desperately to warn him.

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Joey followed the group, finishing off soldiers that had already been slain, and constantly checking their rear so they wouldn't become surrounded. Mai took care of the leaders who seemed to be having difficulties, freeing them o gain a better stance and rescuing them from possible death. Several blasts fell around them, and Joey noticed they all targeted the rear of their formation. It seemed the Fey didn't appreciate the unfair advantage Mai had been giving the wolves.

He turned to look at Mai, who glanced back at him and smirked as she dodged the blasts. Joey was turning to take rear watch again when he froze completely. Mai's voice cried out for half a moment, then... silence...

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Spear tip met flesh and pierced through bone, merging with tender vital organs. He coughed and sputtered out blood,trying to say something... anything... Seto looked down at the mess. The spear protruding out... The blood... The eyes looking up to him...

"My...Lord..." Malik was finally able to say. Seto clutched him, lowering him gently to the ground while shaking. He had intercepted the attack... taking the blow's full force. Seto could already tell, the weapon had lacerated his lungs and pierced his heart. Malik slipped a piece of paper into Seto's leathers. "My sister... Please..." Seto nodded, understanding and unwilling to let him down. Malik coughed up more blood, then his head lolled back. Seto gently closed his eyes, and felt something inside him die along with his best friend.

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"Mai!" Joey shrieked, running forward. Four faerie fires had zoned in on her at once. She was able to dodge the first two, but the others both hit her at the same time, crushing her between them while they scorched her flesh. She fell limply into Joeys arms. She wasn't breathing and the inside of her mouth was just as burnt as the rest of her. Her heart wasn't beating and he could get her to move, no matter how hard he tried. He cried out, slamming his fist into the earth below him and grabbed a hand full of dirt.

'Mai... why? Why did you come? You should have stayed back... You should have... You would have been... No... You cant die. You cant leave me. I wont let you leave me!' His mind pleases. Her arm fell, dangling beside her as he hugged her to him.

"I WONT LET YOU DIE!." Joeys voice pierced through the battle field at the same instant the Demon lord's roar did the same. The pack leaders halted, their enemies momentarily preoccupied with wondering what was going on, and looked between the two. Both clutched their respective losses, but soon all eyes were drawn to Joey.

The trees seemed to sway and creek as an unseen wind pushed them and rattled them. The ground immediately began moving and turning as their immediate area sprouted and trembled, as if countless things burrowed beneath it. Suddenly the earth separated and several thin trees shot out, engulfing both Mai and Joey. Joey stood, unimpeded by the shoots now encasing him and a few of the enemy soldiers began to flee. The trees seemed to meld with his body as he turned into his hybrid form. His new bark armor followed suit and coated his new form. The only thing anyone could see now was his eyes, glaring ferociously out towards his victims.

He lunged, ripping apart everyone who stood in his way with a speed most eyes couldn't trace. Seto disappeared, reappearing only to end life after life. The two systematically removed every threat withing five hundred yards of themselves. When their rage finally died down, they returned to their fallen ones. Seto leaned down and lifted Malik while Joey tore at the now full tree housing Mai. As he broke through the bark, a soft green glow made him pause. He wasn't sure what was going on, but so far, everything that happened had helped him. He continued tearing at the bark and it finally parted before him. He looked into the hollow trunk and searched for Mai's broken form.

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**Another chappie down! Very eventful... and I kinda... sorta … miss Malik. T.T**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	25. Strategy

Chapter 25: Strategy

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Joey pulled the body from the hollow tree and the light glow faded. A nearby demon offered him his cape to wrap the woman's naked form and Joey took it. Her body was pristine, as if nothing had ever happened. He laid her covered form down and moved to check her vitals. The second his fingers touched her throat, she coughed and sputtered out some fluid, then her eyes fluttered open.

"What..." She coughed again. "What happened?" Joey couldn't answer. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled her to him. She slowly and confusedly returned the hug and glanced around at their surroundings. All eyes were on them and she glanced down at herself. "Where... are my clothes?" Joey didn't release her, but chuckled quietly against her, sniffling in breaths as he did. He wouldn't be letting her go any time soon. Seto approached from behind and the people surrounding them parted to let him through. Joey and Mai glanced up and quieted as they saw the demon lord holding his closest friend.

"We... need to clean up." He said quietly. "Get yourselves to the infirmary." He ordered, and started towards the castle, not willing to wait around and argue about what needed to be done.

When he stepped into the keep, everyone was dead silent. They parted as Seto brought Malik to his room, to prepare him for burial. Serenity was already in his room, unaware of what had been going on. She moved to greet Seto, but froze when he came into view. She slowly stepped forward, stretching her trembling hand out to touch Malik's fallen form.

"N-no..." Her voice wavered and tears began piling at the edges of her eyes. Seto couldn't hold his back any more and he fell to his knees, careful not to jostle Malik much. She stroked his hair and looked down at the demon she had grown so fond of. She didn't want to believe he was gone. She had hardly knew him, but she had felt some sort of friendship with him unlike any other she ever had. She couldn't imagine the pain Seto was feeling now. Serenity cradled Seto's head as he wept but they were interrupted by a sigh at the door. Serenity glanced up as Seto's head turned back and they both saw Ishizu in the doorway.

"You... truly cared for him..." Seto lowered Malik completely to the ground and lifted himself. He grabbed the note Malik gave him and handed it to her.

"You were his final thought." He informed her in an empty voice. She opened the note and read it quietly to herself, closing her eyes and crumpling it as she finished.

"I will take him." She said after a long pause.

"Excuse me?" Seto had venom in his voice. She looked up at him and handed him the note.

'Sister, take me to mother and father. I gave my life to the demons, I give my death to my family. I'm sorry. I love you.' It seemed like the note was old, written years prior. Seto felt his heart sink, but he could only respect his friend's dying wish.

"Fine." He agreed. Serenity, still kneeling by the body, leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, then stood and took her place at Seto's side. Ishizu easily lifted her brother and carried him away as Seto pulled Serenity to him. "This war will end. I'm going to make it end. Now." He strode out, leaving Serenity in his room, wondering what he was about to do.

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><p>"What do you mean, you don't know?" Mai's voice called from the infirmary. Serenity ducked in and saw Joey and Mai, both in beds next to each other. They were both awake, and Mai looked fine, but Joey had bandages across his shoulder and that arm in a sling.<p>

"I don't know how it happened... I wasn't really paying attention to anything around me... I just... killed them."

"What happened?" Serenity made her presence known and both Mai and Joey turned to see her.

"I... did something weird... or at least I think I did." He said, still working it out in his head. He sighed and prepared himself to tell the story again. "Mai... She died Ren." He paused as Serenity looked worriedly between the two. "And then... everything got weird. The trees moved. They surrounded me. They made, like, armor. Nothing could break it. I killed all the enemies and when I got back, Mai was alright." He finished. Serenity was speechless. She knew exactly what had happened. It was the thing she had been praying for the most. The elemental, the nature elemental, she had wanted to hear from this entire time. It showed itself, and aided Joey.

"Joey... You remember when I said Mom was a Nymph? Well, that makes both of us half Nymphs. You were able to channel the power of nature... how Joey? What did you do to get it?" She asked, wondering what she had been doing wrong.

"I... I didn't know. I just... I refused to let her die." Joey squeezed Mai's hand. "I... was desperate." Serenity nodded solemnly. The elements did aid their children, but only when absolutely necessary. It made her realize, she was lucky. She had life. A home. A man who honestly loves her. She hoped she never had to call on the elements.

Seto entered the infirmary and called Joey and Mai into the meeting room. When Serenity asked to go along, he denied her access and told her to wait in his room. She knew he was being overprotective of her, and didn't like it. She was sick of being protected, and just useless while he risked his life. She wouldn't wait for him. She was going to do something about it. She was going to turn to the person she never ever wanted to. But first, she needed help getting there.

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><p>"What do you need Serenity?" Mokuba asked sadly. He didn't know Malik very well, but he knew how his brother had cared for him. It was a sad day for the entire kingdom. Malik was a great adviser and a trustworthy friend to the nation.<p>

"Mokuba... do you know how to get to the southern kingdom?" Mokuba looked up to her in shock.

"You're... going to run away?" He asked and she shook her head, surprised he would think that.

"No, I want to... I want to train as a Dhampire. I want to be strong and fight along side him. I don't want to be stuck in here for the rest of my life, wondering if he'll die out there. If he's in pain... If he's alone." Mokuba nodded.

"He would never allow it." He said assuredly. Serenity took the boy's shoulders in hand and looked him in the eyes.

"He doesn't have a say. I can go alone, but I'm not sure of the route. I wanted to ask if you would take me there, but if you're uncomfortable, then the only thing I ask is that you don't tell your brother." Mokuba looked away, but mulled the proposition around a bit.

"I guess there's only one thing for me to do..." He said sadly, but turned to her and smiled. "If I ever kept that secret from him he'd kill me. I'm going with you. I'm done sitting and waiting too." Serenity hugged the boy.

"Then I'm going too." A voice from behind them called. Serenity whipped around and Mokuba moved to see over her. Rebecca stood in the doorway, hands on hips and smile across her face. ""You're gonna need some muscle." She said, flexing one arm. She glanced over and looked Mokuba up and down and raised an eyebrow. "So... a Dhampire who doesn't understand her powers and has never fought before, and... a Fey... this isn't going to be easy." Mokuba blushed and looked away while Serenity moved towards her.

"I cant risk more people than necessary." She said, worried for the girl. She had felt the pain of losing her once. That was enough.

"Psht. I'm completely necessary. Besides, I don't think you'd get very far with your big brother hunting you down. I'm not very good at keeping secrets." She said, leaning against the door. Serenity glanced back at Mokuba, and they nodded to each other.

"Fine, but we have to leave tonight." Serenity had just fed the day before and she knew she didn't want to feed on anyone there, so she had to leave as soon as possible. They rounded up food and bags for the journey and slipped out the castle's northern exit, claiming they were there to help with the clean up. They rounded the castle and began south. The sun was about up when they made it to the river.

"What do think you're doing?" A bubbly voice called.

"Melody... I need to get to the Dhampire nation." Serenity said as the water congealed into the Nymphs form.

"You're Melody? You saved big brother?" Mokuba piped up. Rebecca looked between the three of them, but shrugged. She didn't care really, she was there for action.

"I did... Speaking of which, does he know you are here?" She asked, knowing the answer already.

"No... But this is something I need to do." Serenity looked up to the Nymph, and she sighed.

"You realize if he asks me, I'll have to tell him the truth." Serenity nodded and the nymph sighed again. She stepped back and motioned the water to calm and part, just as she had done before. Serenity thanked her and started across, followed by the others. Mokuba waved once they got to the other side safely and the river began to rush again. The trip through the elven lands took over a day, but they finally reached the lower lands, Dhampire territory.

"You're traveling awful far, little girl." A voice broke through the shadows. "Are you lost?" Serenity, Rebecca and Mokuba all looked around, but couldn't find anyone. Rebecca sniffed the air a few times, moved and sniffed again, zeroing in on their stalker. "Get away from me you disgusting mutt." The voice sneered and Rebecca began growling.

"Take me to Tristan." Serenity demanded before Rebecca could launch herself at him. The black haired Dhampire stepped out and looked at her incredulously.

"What makes you think his lordship would meet with you."

"He knows me." The Dhampire looked her up and down, raised eyebrow, and chuckled.

"I doubt that." Serenity was starting to get angry. She hated the fact that she had to meet with Tristan at all, and now this one was stalling her.

"Just let me kill this one, and we'll have the next one take us to him." Rebecca begged.

"Can you at least tell him, the Nymph wants to see him? He'll understand." The Dhampire looked her over again, turned and laughed as he disappeared into the forest. Not ten minutes later, Tristan himself stepped from the brush.

"I knew you'd come back to me." He smirked down at her and she looked away and sighed.

"I... I need your help."

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><p>The last entire day Seto and Joey talked over advancing strategies, terrain tactics and troop placement for a major assault on the king's castle, then the Fey's capitol. The plan would take at least three weeks to pull off, but a major strategic, tactical and forceful victory could bring this war to an end. The wolves were beginning to get tired and Seto himself felt worn after the long battle and the day of planning and meeting. He sighed and made his way to his own room while his guests were shown to the guest chambers.<p>

He entered the room and glanced around. Something didn't quite feel right. He looked down to where he laid Malik last, and sighed, then moved to his bedside. He stripped and readied for bed, but something still felt wrong. He looked around the room unsure of whether to just get into bed or explore more in depth. He laid down, content on ignoring the feeling and getting some rest before another day of troop placement and all of the work that needed to be done.

A few hours passed and the sun was going down again, but he couldn't shake that damned feeling. He lifted himself out of bed and entered the hall. He was only wearing a pair of long baggy pants, but he didn't care. Something felt wrong and he had to get to the bottom of it. As he moved towards the greeting hall he heard someone's familiar voice calling out.

"Becca... Becca?" Joey moved down the hall opposite him, and their eyes met. "Hey, have you seen Rebecca? I haven't seen her all day and she's not with the other girls in their room." He explained. Seto shook his head. Maybe she was exploring.

"Maybe Serenity knows..." It hit him. He hadn't seen Serenity all day either. He glanced around as his mind raced to the last time he had spoken to her. Joey turned back away and started down the hall, now calling for Serenity and Rebecca. Seto followed, remembering to tell her to stay in his room, but he couldn't expect her to stay there for the entire duration of his meetings. It had been a day and a half. Maybe they were together, catching up, or exploring or something.

Seto reached out and grabbed Ryou as they passed in the hall. Joey stopped to glance back in case he knew where they were.

"Have you seen Serenity?" Seto asked and Ryou looked at him blankly.

"No, Sire... I can look for you." he offered and Seto nodded.

"I'll be with Mokuba, maybe he knows something." Seto said, moving towards his little brother's room. He entered , but that was also empty. He was starting to get frustrated now and Joey was as well. He turned to leave when Ryou popped in.

"Sire, one of the guards said they saw them leaving the castle on the day of the battle. They reportedly were going to aid the wounded and help clean up." Ryou reported. He was damned fast.

"All three of them?" Joey asked, as Seto glanced out the window.

"Yes. I've contacted the guards to report who saw her reenter the castle and when." Seto nodded and Joey clenched his fists. They waited as the guards each reported in and one approached.

"I'm sorry My Lord. No one reports having seen them reenter the castle." Now Seto's fists balled as well. Both of them moved right for the gate, fully prepared to search out the entire forest to find them.

"Serenity where are you?"

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**So Serenity's been baaaaad. She gonna get it. Ok, I'm done being a child. Hope you all like it still. Looks like I lost a lot of readers over my "Help mom get back on her feet" break. I'm sorry! I had to be a good daughter... my brothers are lazy bums! I've noticed a real blow to my hits and visitors and a huge hit to my reviews... which makes me sad. I still love hearing from you all... that will never change! Please...**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	26. Retrieving Lost Goods

Chapter 26: Retrieving Lost Goods

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"Sire, the wolves picked up a scent heading south." One demon reported in as Seto and Joey searched the western wall.

"Are you sure it's them?" Seto asked, itching to find out the path, but restraining himself.

"It's definitely Rebecca. There are other scents with her, but the wolves didn't recognize them." The demon said. Seto looked at Joey and Joey sighed.

"It's our best shot." He said and Seto nodded. Joey started for the south, but a hand shot out and grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned back and met Seto's eyes confusedly. Before he could question what he was doing, the entire forest began moving around him. The woods passed at a speed inhuman, and after an hour they stopped suddenly at the banks of a crashing river.

"I was waiting for... Joseph?" Melody started, but her cascading voice trailed off as she noticed the boy with the demon. The watery form molded into her nymphly form and She moved directly to Joey.

"Uh... you must be Melody." He said as she hugged him to her.

"Yes. You look so much like your father." She said warmly.

"I really wish this was the time for this, bu-" Seto started, but Melody turned to him and the waters instantly ceased.

"She's gone to the Dhampires." Melody informed him. His body tensed and his jaw locked. How could she do this? What was she thinking?

"And Rebecca?" Joey asked.

"The wolf girl? Yes and your younger brother." She said, leading the last part to Seto. Joey could see his rage building and grabbed his arm.

"Hey. They've got a reason. I know them, they've gotta have a good reason." He said, trying to calm the Demon lord. It had been so long since he was truly angered. Months, excluding when Malik was killed. She had cured him of his bad temper, and now that she was gone, everything upset him. He wanted his world back. He wanted her back. Now.

"Then lets find out what it is." He said, marching forward. He didn't wait for the waters to part, but Melody moved quickly to make most of his trip across a dry one. Once on the other side Seto took Joey by the shirt and the forest started blurring past again. It took half the day to reach their destination, and when they broke the shadow meld, they were immediately surrounded.

"What's a shadow demon doing in our forest?" One Dhampire said as he circled them.

"And with a filthy dog as well..." Another added. There were six of them, snickering and circling, sizing up the boys.

"We're here for the Nymph." Seto said, not wanting to play games. Joey was growling and tracing their movements with his eyes.

"She came to us. She is ours." Two of them said together.

"She came to the lord, he loves her and keeps her well." One laughed. "She loves him too." She added. Seto narrowed his gaze dangerously.

"Give me my baby sister." Joey demanded. Seto glanced down at him and saw that he was just as pissed.

"Your..." The Dhampire trailed off in disgust. Seto grabbed Joey just in time to stop him from assaulting the Dhampires.

"Listen, You have five seconds before I let him go and watch as he tears each and every one of your heads off. And if you try to fight back, I'll join the fun. Now. Tell me where she is." The demon lord stood intimidatingly, barely holding Joey back as he growled and smiled, playing his part.

"Th-There's six of us and only two of you..." One said, stopping in place.

"Five."

"You really think you can take all of us?" Joey growled and turned a menacing glare on anyone other than Seto who spoke.

"Four."

"You cant be serious."

"Three." A few of them started retreating, making the others angry.

"Get back here you cowards!"

"Two."

"N-No..." Two fled, three were frozen in fear, and one was yelling for them to stand their ground.

"One." Seto released Joey, aimed at the defiant one, and Joey tore through him while his head was turned. The Dhampire didn't even see it coming. Immediately the rest of them ran, traveling in different directions and escaping the clutches of those bent on destroying them. Seto's eyes narrowed and he determined the weakest one, shadow melded, and was on top of him. The Dhampire struck the ground hard and twisted up to see the demon on top of him. Seto raised one hand in the air, readying it to pierce into his back and the Dhampire screamed.

"I'll tell you! I'll take you! Please!" He cried, and Seto smiled. He lifted himself up and tugged the Dhampire to his feet with the quiver on his back. The man shook with fear and cringed as Joey neared him.

"Move." Seto demanded and the Dhampire started forward.

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><p>"Not bad little Nymph." Serenity cringed again. Hearing Tristan call her that just didn't feel right. She only ever wanted Seto to call her that. She swung again, and this time, she connected with his shoulder, sending him off balance. She moved quickly to trip him and knocked his leg out from under him. She turned and looked back to him, but he had somehow moved on his other leg and twisted himself upright. "Not yet." He said as the leg she had knocked out from under him used the momentum from her blow, swung around and came down on her.<p>

She was knocked to her knees as she blocked with a cross block. Before she could move again, he closed the distance, grabbing her wrists and bending them behind her. He placed her forearms under her thighs, held under her weight and between her thighs and lower legs. She tried to lean forward and free her arms, but Tristan pushed her back, using a single finger on the center of her chest. She felt a blush creep across her cheeks and turned away in defeat, but before he could let her up, someone tossed him violently aside. Serenity looked up in shock and Seto stood, back to her, glaring venomously at Tristan.

"S-Seto..."

"I'll deal with you in a second." He said, glaring over his shoulder at her. Tristan began to pick himself back up, angered by this sudden invasion, and Seto moved. He was able to take three full strides forward, but something took him from behind.

"Stop!" Serenity screamed. He froze in shock as she grabbed his arm and tripped him, sending him flying backwards. He watched her incredulously as she put him in a front mount. Her knees were tucked into his armpit's limiting the movement in his arms and she pinned his wrists up by his head. "I came here to learn to fight. To learn the ways of the Dhampire. I'm not going to sit on the sideline anymore." Her hands trembled on his as she spoke. He knew at any time he could throw her off, but he let her continue. "I'm not going to be useless anymore!" She yelled, squeezing her eyes shut.

With a flick of the wrists, his arms were free. He bent forward suddenly, pushing her off his chest and onto his lap, and hugged her to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You... You would say no." She tried to look him in the eyes, but he had pulled her into him and buried her head into his shoulder.

"I would have trained you." He could hear Tristan sneer, but didn't care. She finally managed to push him back and look him in the eyes. Her breathing paused as she fell into them. The blues, dark and deep and full of... sadness. Betrayal. Hurt. She felt her heart cry out, but couldn't... no wouldn't let it happen. She loved him, and she hated that he was hurting... but...

"You don't have time for that. You... You have to lead the armies. You have to take care of your people. You have to-" Serenity's lips were pulled against his in a soft and tender kiss.

"Don't leave me again. Ever." He said against her mouth as the kiss ended. She looked up at him and he stood, lifting her and placing her on her feet. After a brief warm gaze at Serenity he looked past her and glared at Tristan. "And you... You didn't think to inform me of what was going on? What kind of lord are you?" Tristan shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was merely respecting the young lady's wishes." He said smiling at her. "Shall we take this somewhere more private?" He asked, nodding around to the other Dhampires who had been using the sparring rings.

Once inside, the fearful Dhampire from before was taken aside and Tristan spoke with him separately.

"I understand there was a complication in the woods. Though one of my Dhampires was slain, I have been informed of the reasons and feel it was a necessary end. Now that we are clear, I do not appreciate you barging in on my people like this and assaulting me in my own home." Tristan said, finally joining them at the small crude table.

"You'll understand if I was feeling a bit over protective." Seto said, bringing Serenity's seat closer to his own. Tristan smirked and nodded.

"And you, a wolf in my territory..." Tristan seemed to be pondering the notion as he looked Joey up and down.

"Hey, back off. The only one we're at war with is the Human king. We don't have a problem with you." Joey said dismissively. "Wait... Where's Rebecca?" Joey asked popping back up from his laid back attitude.

"The other wolf.. she's... with the Fey." Tristan said cautiously. Seto and Joey looked at each other, then back at Tristan.

"They said they thought they'd be in the way with my training so they went off. We have meals together, but other than that, I don't really see them." Serenity admitted. Seto nodded and rose.

"I guess we'll see them now." He said as the rest of them stood. Tristan took the lead and they followed him to a small house on the outskirts of the city.

"After you, My Lord." Tristan said snidely while moving aside for Seto to enter. He opened the door and could hear a rustling noise. Joey and Serenity glanced at each other confusedly, but Seto continued on. The curtains were thick and blocked most of the sunlight out, but that's how most Dhampire dwellings were. The strange part was there were no candles lit indoors. Mokuba and Rebecca didn't have the low light vision that the Dhampires did, so there was no reason not to have light.

Seto moved into the room with the rustling and everyone heard two shrieks. Immediately Seto reemerged looking relatively upset and leaned against the wall, barring anyone else from entering that room. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, and after a moment Mokuba and Rebecca stumbled out. Serenity blushed and looked aside while Joey wore a huge grin.

"Big brother, I can explain-"

"No need. You're older than you look. Too old for lectures." He said, moving away from the boy. Joey grinned down at Rebecca and she looked away, shuffling her feet below her.

"You, on the other hand, are a little young for this." He said, unable to stop smiling.

"Joey, I do recall a little miss Laura in your past... how old were you?" Serenity said, putting some distance between the two blonde wolves. Joey flushed bright red and turned away.

"That's different, I'm a boy." He said, pouting. Seto's eyes wandered over the two kids before him and he smirked. He felt worlds more comfortable now that the three of them were located and safe.

Now reunited, Seto exchanged a few words with Tristan and they headed back to the castle. Serenity noticed Seto's speed slowing and being uneven. When they stopped at the river he seemed out of breath.

"Seto... Should we walk the rest of the way?" Serenity asked, concerned.

"No. We're almost there." He wanted to get her back in the castle with him, where she belonged. Melody hadn't even emerged from the water before making a sheen of ice for them to cross on. She was quiet, but that didn't stop them all from waving at the river bed and smiling as they passed.

"Seto... This is straining you." She said plainly. He glanced down at her and sighed.

"You go away for three days and now you're taking care of me. Something's wrong." He said, smirking. She smiled as he took her hand and they all walked the rest of the way.

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**Hi all! Ok, so... it could have gotten hot for a second there. It might still. Just have to wait for the next chappie. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~LOVE**


	27. Like Brother

**Warning! Lemon!**

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Chapter 27: Like Brother

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"Let's see how much you've learned." Seto paced around Serenity and smirked. She watched him circle her like a wolf and it's prey. He paused behind her and she tilted her head slightly, not looking at him, but acknowledging his change in movement. He stepped forward, but she moved to the side, easily dodging his blow. She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him close, but she could tell he had perfect balance.

"Don't toy with me." She said angrily. It was more than blatantly obvious that he was slowing himself and playing with her. She didn't mind him sizing her up, but to tease her when she was trying to take this so seriously... she silently dared him to do it again.

She let go, releasing him and he smiled, moving away from her, with his back to her. That did it. Serenity moved, she gripped his wrist and brought it away from him. In one fluid motion, she kicked her body up and around his shoulder, trapping his arm in her legs and pulling him forward. They landed flat on the ground, her locking his arm in her grasp and him pinned beneath her.

The flying arm bar. He knew if he moved, even slightly, his arm could be easily broken. She really was serious about the training, and his snide teasing sent her over the edge. But now he knew her speed, her strength and her style. She was good at guards and arm bars. Fast suppression moves to immobilize the target efficiently with minimal risk. The only issue was he was better. He clenched his fist, confusing her as to what he was going to do, and suddenly lifted her entire form with his arm. Serenity was shocked, it should have been impossible for him to move at all.

Once she was in the air, he kicked his legs under her, untwisting himself from her lock, and turned her around. His arm easily freed itself from her, and he grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her. Now he was sitting behind her kneeling form, keeping her restrained and pulling her against him. Her back was arching dramatically and she tilted her head to look at him while breathing heavily. He was smiling again.

She felt him shift and one of his hands skirted up her stomach to cup one of her breast. She gasped and twitched, sending a pang of pain down her arms, but it wasn't too bad. His hand continued up, brushing against her collar bone, then under the fabric of her training vest. Her breathing became ragged as he found her now hard bud and pinched it lightly.

"I must admit, I love training you." He whispered against her skin as he kissed the arch of her neck. She shuddered at the touch and twitched again, sending another pang down her arms, but more than that, an idea panged in her mind. She just had to wait...

He pinched the tender nipple again, then rolled it between his finger tips and she got her chance. She whimpered out, arching her back more and jerking her body into his hand.

"Ah-Ow!" He felt her arms tense and clench in his hand and immediately released. She didn't give him a chance to ponder what he had done when she turned and pushed him down, mounting him and holding his hands over his head. As she hovered over him, she looked him up and down. His eyes were filled with shock, but soon it melted into mischievousness.

"You sneaky little thing..." He said through a smirk. She smirked down in the same fashion and tilted her head.

"I was trained to use my enemies weaknesses against them." She said as she leaned into him. She leaned so low he could see down her shirt, and couldn't help the side effects. She bit her lower lip playfully as she felt him grow beneath her.

"You realize I can overpower you at any time..." He said, beginning to struggle lightly, showing her how he could lift his wrists beneath her hands.

"I don't think you heard me." She said and rocked her hips against him.

"Ah!" His resistance immediately stopped, and his head flung back as he cried out. She began moving against him and he moaned low and looked up at her through fiery eyes. "This... is nice, little nymph... but I think I may...ugh... be able to do it better. " He flipped them entirely, but Serenity wouldn't give up the fight. She moved back, turning to escape his grip, but powerful hands grabbed her legs and she crashed against his swollen loins. Once in place he kept her there with an arm above each shoulder, and lingered over her in a similar manner that she had done to him. "You cant just start me up and run away, you're going to see this through. I'll make sure of that."

He ripped her pants down and flung them off to the side, then grabbed at her vest. She squeaked as he lifted her against him and stripped her bare. She sat, legs splayed, him at her center and her upper body leaning against his. Her hands slipped under his vest and she began to lift it, but he pushed her back down and waved a finger.

"No no, you have to earn that. I do believe you were using my weakness against me... Shall I use yours?" He slid his hand up her thigh and brushed it lightly against her tender center. She gasped and looked at him through widened eyes. She didn't know exactly what he was planning to do if he wasn't going to strip himself, but she was curious to find out. His hand cupped her as he ran a finger between her folds.

"Ahhhh!" She cried out, twisting at the touch and falling down against the training mat. His blood began rushing, but he calmed himself. He was going to shatter her world before he penetrated her, and then... he was going to do it again and again. He continued to tease her until it seemed she had gotten used to the touch, then he slipped one finger in. "mmmmm...ah... ah." Her hips rocked against his fingers and his hand was getting wet. He could feel her trembling, and slipped another finger in. Immediately her body shook and he could feel her tighten around him. "Ohhh!" She cried as her body jerked.

He took that as his cue to move his fingers harder and faster into her. She cried louder and her body twitched and trembled under him. He smiled and leaned down to her, still ramming his fingers in and out, and kissed her neck.

"Come..." He commanded, and as if on cue, her body twisted and she cried out. She grabbed his vest lightening fast and her fingers melded themselves into it as she pulled herself up against him.

"Seto... please..." She begged, but he was having too much fun. He decided he would play with her for a little while longer, but then he wouldn't be able to hold himself back. He knew exactly how to step it up for that last bit as well. His thumb flitted into the folds of her and she suddenly screamed, grabbing his hand and squeezing her eyes shut as it found her sensitive button. He rubbed it gently as he moved his fingers and she couldn't stop screaming.

"That's it Serenity. Come for me. Call for me." He smirked. He stopped pushing into her and pressed harder, rubbing more vigorously against her clit. Her entire body shook violently as she came, but he wouldn't stop yet. He wanted her to be unable to even form a thought. She twisted and jerked, but he was relentless. His hand stayed firm against her, driving her to the brink of madness.

"Seto! I- Oh God! Seto Please!" She begged and cried between screams. "Please! I cant... I cant come any more! I cant-AH!" Her body convulsed again and he smiled. He moved his hand away and her body fell hard against the ground without her muscles convulsing and keeping her up. He grabbed her legs and pulled her against him.

"We're not done." He informed her and she looked up at him incredulously. He whipped off his clothes and pulled her against him, kneeling over her and placing himself at her entrance.

"Seto... I couldn't possibly-" He wouldn't let her finish that sentence. He was inside her before she could get another word out. She cried out at his size suddenly in her and her nails dug into his shoulders. He slowly rocked into her, enjoying her tightness and the way she squirmed and cried out. He had had her so many times, but it was like the first time all over again. She was tight and soft and completely at his mercy, yet somehow, he knew she could control him as well.

He picked up speed and she clung to him whimpering and moaning, her voice finally failing her. She was beautiful in every way. He wanted her to look up at him through those half lidded, satisfied eyes every day until the end of his days. He pushed harder and he heard her whisper his name over and over and over. It made him crazy. He rammed into her, hard, and grunted and moaned as she tightened around him over and over.

"Seto... Seto... Seto...oh Seto! Yes... yes... AH!... I'm yours." the last two words did it. He pounded into her relentlessly, almost there. So close. But he wanted her to come as hard as he would. His thumb slipped back in her and pressed against her button as he rammed her. "SETO!" her insides clenched him tightly and he came. He wiggled his thumb, forcing her to jerk and move against him, continuing every wave of pleasure again and again. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and removed his hand. He could barely hold himself up, and she was completely destroyed under him.

"Say it again." He managed between heavy breaths. She looked up at him with those eyes that he loved so much, and a half smile formed across her face.

"I'm yours." She said again. She started to lift herself, but moved slowly as her entire body was sore and drained. He collapsed next to her and pulled her to him. She hugged him close and sprawled against him, still holding his eyes with hers. "I belong to you." He uttered a deep guttural growl through smiling lips and pulled hers against them. She was his... and he was hers.

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><p>"So? A fey... How was it?" the girl moved closer, trying to coax Rebecca to look at her.<p>

"I... we didn't do anything." She said, avoiding the girls eyes.

"They said the demon king caught you two. You guys totally did something." She pressed as the other girls nodded and smiled.

"No... we were going to but..." The girls frowned and Rebecca blushed madly.

"So you've still never..." The girls trailed off, leaving the ending unfinished. Rebecca shook her head and finally looked up at them, but their eyes weren't on her anymore. She glanced behind and saw Mokuba leaning against the doorway with a smug little smile. In that instant he resembled his older brother.

"Gossip gossip." he tsked. "And I was hoping to spend some time with you Becca." He turned to leave, but Rebecca jumped up and clung on to his arm.

"What is it Mokuba?" She asked as they walked down the hall.

"Actually, I think I have an idea that will help Seto. I just have to talk to Ryou, and I wanted to know if you could, you know, help me perfect it." Rebecca looked up at him with wonder. She was good at tearing through her enemies, but when it came to tactics and strategies, she was not in her forte.

"I might be able to help." She said using it as an excuse to get closer to the boy.

"Mokuba, you called for me?" Ryou said from the doorway of Mokuba's room. He had apparently beat them there. Mokuba nodded and led Rebecca into the room with them.

"I have some friends in the Fey kingdom and I've been chatting with them. They're thinking of joining our side." He said, shocking Rebecca, and making Ryou think for a second.

"You want to know if I have any allies in the Fey capitol as well." He said, understanding, and Mokuba nodded. "Well, I did have some very close friends back in the capitol. I'll see if I can reach out to them." Mokuba nodded and Ryou left.

"So you want to get the Fey to turn on their own king?" Rebecca asked and Mokuba smiled.

"Yes, but not just that. I want them to sabotage their king first." He said smirking.

"Wow... You're brilliant." She said and hugged him. Mokuba smiled down at her. She was so cute and feisty. He had to admit though, his plan was ingenious.

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><p>Seto didn't have much time to aid in Serenity's training, as she expected, but she was satisfied with what she had learned in her crash course from Tristan. He had been busy working and moving back and forth between the wolves and his castle in preparation for battle. Joey worked with him, moving some of the smaller packs into more strategic locations so when the battle actually took place, they would be able to act quickly and tactically. And they were almost able to pull it off.<p>

"Sire, The Fey have moved. They're entering the forest. The wolves are on them now!" Seto jumped up as one of the shadow demons he had sent to live with the wolves appeared in his chamber. He ordered the demon to notify the army and they moved at top speeds. It was too soon, but they had no other choice.

"Are we moving?" Serenity asked, looking up at him. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting her to follow him to battle, but he figured it was better for her to fight along side him instead of sneaking onto the battle field under his nose. He nodded and moved, tailed by Mokuba and Rebecca. Mokuba fidgeted with a small mirror in his pocket and pulled aside, ushering Rebecca on when she stopped to wait for him.

"Hey," He whispered into the small glass surface. "Were you able to do it?" He asked. A few moments later he could hear faint cries of war in the mirror.

"We couldn't get them all yet, but we got most of them." A quick response called. He wouldn't contact them again, afraid to blow their cover. He wore a smile as he hurried to keep up with his brother.

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**Yet another chappie up. So, I've been tossing around an idea for a new fic. It's not a SetoxSerenity, which is weird for me, but I had the idea and wanted to use it. It's my very first SetoxOC fic. **

**It's about a new girl at Domino High. It takes place just before the american anime starts. She's smart and work oriented like him, but totally not into him... at first. Not sure where it's going completely yet. It's a brand new baby fic, but if you guys think you'd be interested in reading it, let me know in a review or a personal message and I'll see what I can do about getting it up. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love**


	28. What I Really Want

****edited A/N at the bottom****

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Chapter 28: What I Really Want

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The horns of battle blew in the form of howls from the wolves. They had successfully surrounded the first wave of Humans and Fey, and had almost completely destroyed them by the time the Demons arrived.

"Pull them out now, have them retreat to the sides so they can close around the next wave!" Seto shouted and Joey Howled and ran ahead, alerting the leaders of the next move. They ran into the fray, Serenity removed many men from battle, but Seto noted that she hadn't killed anyone yet. She broke arms and legs, and knocked them out, but they always were able to flee the battle in the end. She was being too kind. They would not grant her the same mercy.

The next wave pushed on, and like the first, was immediately circled. They began pushing in, slowly picking apart the edges of the now circle, and making their way to the center, destroying the enemy entirely. Even through the fray of battle, he could easily keep an eye on her. She was doing well, and was taking into consideration his ability to see her and watch over her. He figured, she also wanted him to see what she could do, but this worked favorably.

They got to the center, and in this wave, the Fey brought in were on the platforms Mokuba had warned him about. They moved towards the platforms, cautious as to exactly how they worked, and circled them a bit.

"Now" Mokuba called into the mirror. Suddenly, several Fey turned on their comrades, blasting them off the platforms, then put up their hands, looked between each other and bent down. A moment later, five of the eight platform's lights went out.

"The lit one's still have traps on the edges of them, be careful! don't touch the edges!" The Fey shouted to the wolves and demons. Seto swung around, looking at Mokuba, and his little brother gave him a thumbs up. He chuckled darkly, and turned to a lit platform. It was surrounded by wolves an demons trying to figure out how to get on. He stepped back, then ran, taking a mighty leap and clearing the edges. The first on a lit platform, in front of all of his men, the demon king stood. He ripped through the Fey, turned to his men and scanned them.

"Get them." They moved instantly. Serenity remained, staring up at him and smiling. He glanced around and watched as demons and wolves jumped the stages, clearing the traps and destroyed the Fey. They weren't quite ready for the third wave to approach, but with their previous success, they were pumped to get more enemies to destroy.

Seto and the rest of them began advancing against the approaching army. It looked as if this one was the largest wave yet. He glanced back for Serenity, and she nodded and began following him, keeping about twenty paces behind him. Once they met the resistance, he tore through them and she had begun to think his method of protecting her shifted to 'leave none alive for her to fight'. She wouldn't have that. She rushed forward, claiming a combatant for herself. She kicked the sword from his grip and swung with a loose punch. Seto paused and stared at her, curious as to why she would ever punch so weakly and with such poor form.

The reason became clear as he grabbed her wrist. She reached down with her free hand and grabbed onto his wrist, locking his hand down on hers and swung both of her hands up and around, breaking his wrist and making him cry out in pain. Seto Smirked. She wanted him to grab for her. She lured him purposefully. She was sneaky indeed.

His focus returned to the enemies before him and he began ripping a hole through their line. He had made it a good forty feet into it when something felt wrong. The forest felt wrong. The He just got this feeling- A shriek ripped him from his unease and sent him full on into a quiet panic. He turned and watched as a soldier held Serenity and another readied his blade.

No sooner had he lifted his blade did it fall to the ground, arm still holding it. Seto, fast as ever, ripped the limb from him and jabbed his sharp hand through the man restraining her's chest plate. The man bled and screamed, but not for long as he fell dying. Seto turned and back kicked the armless one in the head, knocking him senselessly to the ground.

"Be more careful." He hissed at her as he returned to his own fights. His rescue, though welcome and appreciated, shook her. Thoughts of 'why am I still so weak?' and 'Cant I do anything right?' passed through her mind, but she shook her head, trying to rid herself of them. Unable to do so, she settled with pushing them to the back of her mind and pressed forward, needing to prove something to herself now.

"What would you like me to do with them?" Mokuba asked, catching up to Seto. He nodded his head towards the ten or so Fey that had joined them from the last wave. They were currently busy picking off men at random. Seto paused and glanced around. He called for a small squad of Earth Demons and they fought their way over to him.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Protect these Fey. Let no one near them. Raise them on platforms or form walls around them. Keep their enemies far from them so they can do what they need to." He turned to Mokuba as the earth demons moved to follow his command. "Have them target their own. We need to fight their fire from a distance until we gain more ground. Split them into two groups, with equal amounts of Fey and demons. Maximize their potential, and... a little more notice next time." He smirked and ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Well, then... we've got more coming from the next wave." Seto had just turned away, but swung back in time to see his brother laughing and running to his Fey friends. That boy really knew how to surprise him.

Seto's eyes finally landed on the battlefield in front of him. He scanned the troops of both sides and his eyes landed on a familiar face. He growled and began forward but at around seventy feet away four of the ten platforms lights went out and Pegasus began looking around frantically. Blasts fired off in every which way as Fey tried to distinguish friend from foe. Pegasus's angry glare scoured the crowd and finally landed on the Demon lord. Immediately he fired off a blast, but Seto was too fast. He stepped into shadow and melded behind the entire platform, ready to leap atop it.

Serenity launched a rock at a lit platform, striking the edge and setting off the trap on that side. She used that to climb atop the stage and ran at the Fey targeting wolves. The second she stepped on the bright stage she regretted it. The light from within weakened her dramatically. It slowed her movements and made breathing difficult.

The Fey noticed her approach and pulled out a rapier. He was a quick little devil, slashing her in a few places. Luckily they were glancing blows and only hurt, but didn't truly injure. She went to disarm him several times, but he kept his grip well. He slashed at her head and she leaned out of the way, but didn't have time to react as he swept her legs out from beneath her. Laying flat on the platform, those little thoughts bubbled up again.

'You're just not good enough. You're going to die. You're too weak. You're useless... You're worthless.' Her brain said over and over again. She looked out the corner of her eye and saw Seto, fighting the Fey lord on their own platform.

Seto swung forward, swiping at the man who dodged too well. He had a rapier of his own and slashed at Seto, missing in turn. The two were well matched. Seto finally connected with a punch across the Fey's jaw, but it didn't stop the rapier from flying through his shoulder. He let out a roar of pain as the Fey Lord turned back to him, smirking, but it soon faded as he took the blade in hand and snapped it, the first half still in him. He pulled the blade the Fey still held forward and swiped across his chest, raking the flesh and making him scream.

Pegasus jumped back and glared at Seto he was beginning to get his footing back. The Fey lord had to move fast if he wanted to finish this. He moved and fainted to the right, but dodged left at the last second, slamming his hand into the broken blade inside Seto's shoulder. The broken steel was pushed flush against his skin, pushing it out his back a few more inches. Seto cried out and his muscles twitched and clenched in pain. The Fey wasted no time, he grabbed the tip of the blade and yanked it out, opening Seto's wound farther and sending him to his knees. The Fey held the tip like a dagger and pressed it against the skin of his throat.

Serenity's eyes teared. It seemed like the whole world slowed. She watched the Fey lift himself and place his blade high above her, readying to end her when her mind shouted NO! 'I don't want to die. I don't want Seto to die. I want to be strong. I want to be strong like Seto.. Like Joey... Like...' Thoughts of her mother flooded her mind. A strong beautiful woman, loving and caring, kind and sweet, but stern and smart. Everything she ever wanted to be. 'I don't want to be a Dhampire... I don't want to die like this! I don't want Seto to die like this!'

The Fey ran the blade downward, nearing her flesh rapidly. It sliced into her, but only penetrated half an inch. Blood sprayed out over her and her eyes finally focused. A thorny vine protruded from the center of the platform, spearing through the Fey and killing him instantly. Serenity rose, not completely in control of her movements and waled towards Seto. She leaped over the trapped edge of the stage and continued on her destination. The vines entangled every creature within five hundred feet, holding them and only hurting when they struggled.

A few enemies were able to break free, and ran at her, sure if they struck her down, the rest of them would be free, but once they got close, the vines wrapped around them, the thorns stabbing them and slashing them. She ignored them. She somehow knew they were no threat. The vines tangled their way onto the stage, setting off the explosives and making a path for her. The Fey lord looked at her, panicking, and dragged Seto between them, ramming his thumb into the wound to better control him. Between the light from below, the wound in his shoulder, and the blade against his throat, Seto couldn't do anything.

"Dont come any cl-" His sentence was never finished. The blade struck Seto's skin gently, but fell before him. He looked behind him in time to watch the thorny vine remove itself from his throat and drop him like the knife he had held. He was dead. Serenity moved to him and pressed her palm against his wound. He cringed, but the pain faded. Entirely.

He was well again and he looked her over. She was no longer pale. If anything she was tanner and warmer than ever before. She brushed her fingers over his cheek, then turned to the forest before them. As she raised her arms up, more and more vines sprouted and engulfed their enemies. They wrapped around them, slicing and choking them. Seto could hear their cries for mercy, but she continued. It wasn't right. He grabbed her arms and pulled her against him.

"Serenity, that's enough." He said firmly. She looked up at him, her face emotionless. "Serenity, this isn't you. Please, that's enough. It's over. Come back to me..." He whispered the last part, cupping her cheek and her eyes rolled back and her body fell limp against him. The vines stopped around him, still clutching their foes, but no longer moving and squeezing. He laid her slowly onto the platform and turned to the people she had almost destroyed.

"Forfeit. Surrender, or I'll end you all." Their eyes fell on him and everyone froze. "Give up and I'll let you all live. Your choice." After a few minutes of chatter and worried noises from the men, please for mercy began raining out. "Cut them lose." Seto glanced back to the wolves and demons and they did as he requested. "Take them to the caverns." He ordered before turning back to the girl. He lifted Serenity and smiled down at her. "You really are something."

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><p>Serenity's eyes fluttered open and focused on the ceiling above her. She glanced from side to side and sighed in relief as she realized she was in Seto's room. She stretched and yawned, feeling relaxed and re energized. She wanted to see him. She knew he was fine. She knew he was somewhere nearby, and she wanted to see him. She searched for a few minutes before finding him, and accidentally interrupting a meeting. Seto stood over a table, seemingly mid sentence when she walked in. Mokuba sat to his left and on the other side of the table some old looking Fey exchanged glances. Seto motioned for her to sit next to him and continued.<p>

"It's because it makes the most sense. There was no heir left and by rights of blood, Mokuba is the only one that is qualified to fill the void of your nation." He finished. Serenity was lost, but remained silent.

"You only push for him because he is your brother." One said. Seto leveled him with a stare and opened his mouth to speak again.

"No, my brother may only want the best for me, but if you'd listen, he makes valid points. Pegasus left no heir of his own, therefor the next closest living relative would take the throne. Seeing as that closest relative happens to be a Demon, it moves to the next, and that's me. I've lived in the Fey Nation for almost all of my life, learning the arts, styles, sciences and magics the same way you all learned. I may not have been born a Fey, but I am still his nephew." Serenity looked between the brothers, shocked.

"Not to mention," Seto added. " It would mean instant peace between the Demons and Fey, and assure it for until I or my brother is dethroned. We would be allies instead of us finishing this war and taking out all enemies of our nation." It was a valid point and a threat at the same time. A threat Seto knew they couldn't risk.

"We must speak with the rest of our advisers." The Fey finally said. Seto nodded and everyone rose with them. He shook their hands and Mokuba stepped forward to do the same. After they left, Serenity turned to the boys.

"Nephew? Of him?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. Our mother was his sister." Seto said. Mokuba stepped up, knowing it was something Seto didn't really care to say.

"Our mother was born a human. Pegasus tried to convince her to become a Fey, but she wanted to wait until she was older. Then she met Dad. Pegasus said he stole her away and turned her, but I know better. She loved Dad so much. You could see it in the way she just looked at him. Like how you look at Seto." That brought a blush to her face and a smile to his. "Pegasus was angry, but Mom never held it against him.

"When I decided to be a Fey She was happy, hoping that it would make Pegasus see there were no hard feelings... and it did mend their relationship... for a while... until... When Mom and Dad died, everything broke down. He began ignoring me. Treating me like a potential spy instead of a relative. He began hating us, but he couldn't do anything about me. I had spent a hundred years with him in his capitol and his people loved me. So he turned all his hatred towards Seto. It's been a long time and Seto bore the brunt of his anger, but it's over now. If I'm king of the Fey, I can bring peace to them. And with Seto as my ally, we can mend the broken bridges between the Fey and Demons. We'll be indestructible." Mokuba smiled up at his brother and he returned it.

"Peace... sounds nice."

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><p>"I... Want to see her. Please... Call her. She must come... she..." The man beside him bowed and left immediately. " I have to tell her... I have to..." The king drifted off, to weak to say anything else.<p>

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**Woot, My fingers are on FIRE! I'm typing so fast! Loving this story too. If someone else had written it I'd add it to my favs and alerts and review every chapter *wink wink***

****EDIT** I've completed the next chapter and when I went to go upload it last night, I found myself unable to do so. is having issues, at least with my account on uploading new documents. I haven't been able to upload a single thing and it's driving me nuts! I'm sorry all, I'm going to try periodically throughout the day so keep your fingers crossed for me!  
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**R+R+E~L**


	29. Making a Deal

Chapter 29: Making a Deal

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"I said to come alone." The king said through wheezing breaths.

"He goes where I go." Mai responded in a cold factual voice. Joey nodded behind her. The king waved the guards away and motioned for Mai to step forward. He was on his death bed, the only reason she came. She was hoping he would apologize and call the war off, but that dream, she knew, was far fetched.

"You've grown quite fond of that mongrel, haven't you?" The king said, finding enough strength to lift himself.

"Watch what you say. He and I are the same." She said, holding a hand out to stop Joey from moving.

"The..? Then I truly have lost you." He said shaking his head. "It's such a pity. You look so much like your mother." He said, reaching out to touch her. He stopped halfway up and his arm fell limply. "I brought you here hoping you could join me, but now being what you are, I know you can never return. You will die with your breed." Joey lunged past her and she didn't move to stop him, but the guards quickly grabbed and halted him. "I cant kill you now, as I've invited you here peacefully, but then next you see me will be your end." He said, calling another of his servants over. "I've finally done it." He said, holding up a small vial. "The waters of eternity..." He popped the stopper out of it and tilted the vial up over his mouth.

Before their eyes the years stripped away from him. The ancient man that once stood there faded into a young, strong man. The only sign that he was who he claimed was the hate and age in his eyes.

"Get them out of my sight." He commanded, now a man who's age rivaled Mai's. The guards grabbed them roughly and dragged them away, tossing them back into their damned forest and standing guard in case they tried to return.

"This... is bad." Joey muttered looking at her. He started into the forest but turned back when Mai didn't follow him. She looked empty. Like someone drew the life out of her.

"He... He isn't my father anymore. My father... He died. He died calling me a monster." Joey hugged her to him.

"You're not a monster. He is. We'll stop him. Mai, you're beautiful." He held her against him and stroked her hair as she began to sob.

"I just didn't think it would be this hard..."

"I'll do everything I can to make it easier. I'm here for you."

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><p>Serenity moved through the halls, searching for Rebecca and Mokuba. She walked through the great hall but froze. Something felt... different. It was warm and heavy. Like a moment in the midst of passion, and then she felt eyes on her. She turned her head and met with those eyes she felt so vibrantly.<p>

"Hello again, my little flower. Looking ravishing today aren't you?" Duke purred, causing a blush to crawl across her features. She wondered exactly how long it would be before she was free of him.

"I suppose you're here for Seto. I'll go get him." She said, looking for a reason not to be in his presence. He reached out and grabbed a strand of hair, smiling down at her and stopping her movement.

"Nonsense. He's on his was right now. Tell me, have you been thinking about me?" Serenity paused, not willing to speak too quickly. She found she had less control over her words if she didn't think thoroughly before speaking.

"Actually, I have been thinking about how grateful I am that your armies came to aid us." She said thoughtfully. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, or how she wanted to say it, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He took another step towards her and his smile widened.

"How grateful is that?" His tone was playful and held something mischievous about it. Curse this man, to twist her words and emotions so carelessly.

"Duke." Seto's voice called, freeing her from him. She ran to his side immediately and hugged his arm.

"Ah, lord Seto, always a pleasure." He bowed low. "But if only it was under more pleasurable circumstances that I am here. It seems The king has taken the entire Dhampire nation. I need my soldiers back. The wolves are fighting the Dhampires and I have no one to protect my boarders." Seto's brow furrowed.

"How?"

"They sent a legion of ten thousand around through the country to the east and into mine from the south. Whats more, they've gained control of the fountain of eternity." He added. Serenity glanced up at Seto, but he looked as confused as she felt.

"I thought that was a myth."

"No, The wolves and Dhampires have been fighting over it for hundreds of years. It doesn't concern us or the Fey or vampires because we live forever anyways. But now it's become an issue. The king has already drunk from it."

"Ryou! Get me Ryou!" Seto called. A demon disappeared and it was the elf lord's turn to furrow his brow. The white haired boy hurried out, responding to the Demon Lord's request. "I need the number of the kings forces. If he brought a legion of ten thousand to the Elven kingdom, what does that leave him with?" Ryou grabbed a notebook from his satchel and tallied the totals.

"It leaves him with about seven thousand men, Vampires and Fey with him." He said quickly.

"Remove the Fey." Seto said confidently. Ryou scribbled a few more things down and looked up to his lord.

"It's still around six thousand four hundred or so." Seto smiled.

"We defeated more than that in the last assault. If we can take out the king now, you can clean up the rest of his men in your kingdom, correct?" Seto said, now looking at Duke.

"I suppose I can. I will have aid, though, correct?" Duke said, mimicking Seto's tone.

"Of course. We'll need your men for one more week. That should be enough to take him down. Then you have my full forces on your side." Duke nodded and glanced to Serenity, tossing her a smile. Seto didn't like it. "If there's nothing else-"

"Oh, there is. It's been a long journey up here, you don't mind if I stay the night, do you?" He asked, knowing the Demon lord wouldn't say no.

"I'll have a room prepared right away." It took everything in him not to say it through gritted teeth. They were supposed to be allies after all.

"Serenity, You'll accompany me to it then?" He held out his arm and Seto knew she couldn't reject him. She looked at him with worried eyes and he nodded for her to go on. She took his arm and they started down the hall. She glanced back once, but Seto had turned away, unable to look anymore.

"So how did you do it?" He asked as they traveled, now alone.

"Do what?" She asked in turn. He looked her up and down, making her uncomfortable and... hot.

"Cure your Dhampirism." She looked up at him confusedly and he laughed. "Please, you cant tell me you hadn't noticed? The sun doesn't bother you anymore, and the need to feed is gone. Isn't it?" He was right. She hadn't felt the need to drink blood in almost a week and being out in daylight no longer drained her.

"I... Hadn't thought of that." She said honestly.

"If anything, I'd say you were a full Nymph. I mean, Seto must not be able to keep his hands off of you." It was true. Immediately after the battle he had taken her. Then again, and again and again. She figured it was the near death experience that got him going, but it could have been more. She was able to call on her natural powers to sway the battle, but she hadn't thought farther into it. "I can barely control myself." Another uncomfortable blush crossed her. She could feel her heart racing and her breathing become unsteady.

He entered the room she led him to and she stopped at the door.

"Wouldn't you like to join me?" She began to take a step into the room but stopped herself. She couldn't form words or even think straight, but she knew what she had to do. She ran. She ran and went straight to Seto's room. When she got there she could tell he had been pacing. His head shot up as she entered the room and he could tell right away that she was flustered. She ran to him and pulled him into a kiss, but he pulled back, looking at her accusingly.

"Nothing happened. I want you." She pulled him back against her, but he figured what had happened.

"You're all hot over him." He stepped back. "This is bull shit. I'm not going to play out your fantasies of him." He turned away and headed for the door, but she grabbed his arm.

"Seto, that's not what this is. I want you. I left him. I don't want him, I want you." He ripped his arm out of her hands and looked down at her.

"Get a hold of yourself. Look at you. You can barely breath and your entire face is red. You only look like that after we've... I'm not going to be fucking you while you think about him. That's not how I work." He walked out of his room and slammed the door behind him. She paused for a moment and those haunting green eyes flashed across her mind. She didn't want to be without Seto right now, and hurried down the hall after him.

Duke's door burst open and before he could turn fully around, Seto had him by the collar.

"Release her now." He snarled. Duke's shock faded and he chuckled.

"Why would I do that?" Seto puled him forward and slammed him against the wall again.

"This isn't a game anymore. She's mine. End the control you have over her, or I'll do it myself." Duke smirked.

"You know I'm a man of deals. Give me one night with her. I wont want her once I've had her. And you've already had her, so it wont be like last time." He said making Seto squeeze the fabric around his throat even harder.

"Absolutely not." His demand was ridiculous.

"What's the matter? It's not like I'm stealing her forever. She's a full nymph now, and I've always wanted to try one. It's just one night."

"The problem is, she's mine. You need to back off, or I swear I'll kill you."

"You have my terms. One night and I'll let her go." Seto growled deep in his throat. He'd rather die than-

"What if I spend the night, but resist you." Serenity caught both of them off guard. "Would you release me?" Seto's blood froze as Duke laughed.

"As if you could. Sure, why the hell not? Try to resist me, Serenity." Her name on his lips sent shivers down her spine, but she straightened herself.

"No. I'm not going to allow this. Serenity go back to my room." He ordered, but she stood, unmoving.

"No. It's my freedom. I jus-"

"Serenity get the fuck out of here! I'm sick of you not listening to me. This isn't something you can just will yourself through." He was about to say something else when Duke interrupted him.

"Actually, girls have resisted in the past. Avia didn't even fight for you, she just wanted me." Seto's fist connected with Duke's chin. Seto stalked out the door, brushing past her in the process. He paused once, not looking at her.

"Do what you want, but I swear, If I find out you've slept with him, you might as well go home with him. I wouldn't take her back, and I wont take you either." His voice was icy and his stature distant. She slowly curled her hand in his. He didn't move to block her, but he didn't move to accept her either.

"Seto... I don't want anyone other than you." He remained facing away from her, still not moving. "You're not going to sleep at all tonight, are you?" Still nothing. "Will... Will you post someone out here? I'm not going to sleep with him, but... I don't trust him. He's not like you. He... he scares me." Seto finally turned. He moved to her, cupping her chin in his hand and lifted her eyes to his.

"I'll be right here. If he tries anything at all, call. I'll come. Just don't let me hear anything you might regret. I don't know what I'd do." He was being honest. If he ever heard her making love to another man, he would definitely kill him... and he was afraid of what he might do to her. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, then slowly walked back into Duke's room. He smirked up at Kaiba as he closed the door.

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**Kaiba's totally gonna kill Duke...**

**On a side note, my new story is up It's an OCxSeto story, my first, If you're interested, it's called Perfectly Imperfect.**

**R+R+E~L**


	30. Murphy's Law

Chapter 30: Murphy's Law

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Seto sat against the door to Duke's room. He was dead tired, but nothing on earth could make him fall asleep at that point. He stilled his breath and listened intently to the inside of the room. If they talked normally he could just make out what they were saying, but Duke, who was aware of his presence, would constantly change the volume of his voice, making it difficult to decipher what he said. It was infuriating.

"I've been dying to know what's under th..." Duke's voice could still be heard, but his words faded and Seto had to stop himself from growling to hear what was going on inside.

"You're very flattering, but that's not for you." Serenity said sternly. Seto smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so- a gasp broke his train of thought and he cleared his mind, hoping it would help him hear.

"I bet you've never felt that before." Duke said loud enough for Seto to hear.

"S-stop." Another gasp made his stomach churn. His fingers twitched against his pant legs as he heard her breathing heavily and unevenly. "No... Stop, Get off me." He heard a loud thud and stood abruptly, opening the door. On the floor, Duke laid belly down with Serenity sitting on his back and twisting his arm behind him. Seto couldn't keep the smirk off his lips.

"I'll give you two your privacy." he closed the door and sat again, feeling much better. That sight would take the edge of what he knew was the longest night of his life.

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><p>Over the week, Seto devised strategies and plans for a quick fight in taking over the king's castle. He decided assassination was the only way. While he planned and positioned his men, just like last time, Serenity visited her aunt in the forest to harness her new found Nymphly powers and confirming her full Nymph status.<p>

Serenity worked with Seto, aiding him where she could and just being with him when she couldn't. It set him at ease now that she was free of Duke's influence. He felt safer sharing himself with her. He knew he would have done it anyways, but now he just felt more comfortable.

Five hours before the sun rose, they moved out. Fire, Earth, Light, and Wind Demons moved to the north along with the Fey armies that joined them in the fields just outside the forest. On the southern boarder of the king's city the wolves set up a line, curling up on either side. Behind them were Earth, Darkness, Water, Mind, and Body Demons, then a few formations of Elves filed up the rear. Seto readied his squads of Shadow \]Demons for infiltration. Their tasks were to destroy the housing and training barracks throughout the kingdom, while Seto destroyed the king.

Seto didn't like the idea that he wouldn't be able to see Serenity when the battle started, but he trusted Joey to take care of her while they did their respective things. The incredible thing about the entire operation was they were completely unnoticed. The two mages from Eadenburg Performed a constant cloaking spell to hide the demons and fey in the field from view.

Joey stood to the south of the castle, Mai and Serenity on either side. They were waiting for the signal. If they moved too soon, their cover would be blown, too late and they might suffer unnecessary damages and losses. The woods were dead quiet, and the city before them slept peacefully. But not for long.

Suddenly A series of three explosions signaled the beginning of the siege. The Earth Demons began digging tunnels under the great walls of the castle and causing damage to the structural integrity of them. It didn't take much fire power to bring them crumbling down. The second they were down, Demons and wolves poured into the city.

The noise of the city waking and stirring filled the grand keep. Seto had to move quickly if he wanted to catch the king while he was still not ready. He moved through the great hall, through the throne room and into the royal dormitories. His men scattered and searched through every room, but not a single person slept in the keep. It didn't feel right.

"Check the entire pl-" He began to order his men, when the dresser beside him burst into flames and sent wood spikes flying in every direction. A trap. They knew he would come. They knew his plan. And now he was damaged and unable to warn his men. But who?

The wolves rampaged through the streets, sparing as many civilians as possible and destroying all guards, knights and soldiers. The elves moved to the walls and fired into the enemy numbers while the demons destroyed strategic buildings, giving no place to hide, regroup, or mount a counterattack. The battle inside ended quickly, the human troops killed in their sleep and the ones left alive cut off from basic living necessities. The demons and wolves began to filter out, but the sounds of fighting continued on just outside.

A roar of charge and a volley of arrows filled the sky as the demons exited the castle. Seto and his group moved slowly to the wall and couldn't believe what they saw. The elves fired on the wolves, demons and Fey, backstabbing the forces. Seto rushed forth, but over exerted his injured self and nearly collapsed.

"Kill them! Kill the traitors!" He hollered. The demons moved fast to build walls around them, launch fireballs, and crumble the earth around them. The Fey assaulted them with all they had, and the wolves turned in place and ripped through them. The men behind Seto fell with hard thumps behind him and he managed to turn to look behind him. "You..."

"Of course. Did anyone stop to think how on earth the king's men moved so quietly through my territory?" Duke said, smirking and stepping from the shadows.

"I just figured you were incompetent." Seto glared. He controlled his breathing and rose completely, readying himself to destroy the Elven King.

"You are so pathetic. You're not going to do anything. You see, I've lied more than once to you." He beckoned to something hidden inside the gatehouse he came from and Seto's breathing stopped. Serenity moved out of the shadows, shaking and crying. It was impossible. She was with Joey, and he would die before...

"Seto..." Serenity sobbed. Her arms and legs shook violently, but she couldn't move. Seto's eyes moved over to Duke, seething with rage. He was smiling. Sneering. He couldn't even form a thought of how much he wanted to destroy Duke right there. He took a step forward, but Duke grabbed Serenity roughly and brought her before him, as a shield. Seto growled low, but that was all he could do.

"Don't worry, I'll take wonderful care of her. Just know, if you attack me, or the king, I'll kill her." He stroked her shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Why are you doing this?" Seto asked, brokenly.

"Because... The demons are a scourge on society. You and all the other unnatural races. The Fey... The wolves. The Vampires and Dhampires... And the Demons... Disgusting. You're nothing like the true immortal races. The Nymphs and the Sirens, and the Elves. We are the true immortals. You don't deserve the powers you have. You have simply lived far too long You will all die." Duke said, stepping away and continuing to threaten Serenity so Seto wouldn't move.

"You're talking genocide!" Seto screamed. He was panicking. Serenity or his entire people? This couldn't be happening.

"No, Genocide is destruction of a race. Destruction of people. You're not a person. You have no soul. You are merely the elementals play things. And it's time to clean house."

"The Dhampires... The wolves, The Fey, they all have souls!"

"The Fey are perversions of their natural selves. They should have been grateful for what the Gods gave them. But they've defiled that, and they too must fall. And as for the wolves and Dhampires, they are diseases, plaguing the world with their tainted bodies, spreading like an illness and I am the cure. There is no defending them. There is only defeating them. But don't worry, you're little Nymph... Ha, My little Nymph will be saved. She is a natural being. She deserves her form. So as long as you stay good, she lives." He moved down the stares until the only trace left of him was Serenity's final sob and a sick cackle.

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><p>"Sire! Can you hear me?" Ryou's voice penetrated his sleep and his eyes finally fluttered open. "Sire, are you alright?" He called again. It took Seto a few minutes to decipher where he was, but when he finally regained consciousness he knew he was in the Royal keep of the King's castle.<p>

"The Elves!" Seto jumped up, but a crunch and sharp pain in his side told him that it wasn't a good idea.

"Yes sire, We've fought them back. We were victorious, but sire, I have bad news as well. Joey... and Serenity, they are missing." He reported solemnly.

"I... I know. Duke has them. I should have just killed him..." Seto began to rise, but his side sent a another sharp pain through him and he cried out and fell back.

"My lord, moving isn't a good idea right now. You've not yet recovered from your wounds, please, I beg you, rest. We will devise a plan to rescue them in time." Ryou tried but Seto's face went dead.

"No... If we move at all, he kills them. There's only one option. If we enter Djassara, it is to kill him and hope he doesn't have enough time to kill her."

"The Djassarans are the best scouts in the world... they can see through Fey magic..."

"I know, but we need to kill them, or they will kill us all."

"I... Think perhaps... you should contact... Her." Seto glanced sideways at Ryou, knowing exactly what he was talking about but doubting the wisdom of the choice. "It may be our only chance." He said, and Seto's sinking feeling in his gut agreed.

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><p>Serenity woke in a small dungeon. Her wrists were shackled above her head and she had been changed into a disgraceful ragged cloth. She felt sick at the thought of someone removing her clothes and seeing her vulnerable naked form. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see clearly the forms of two others sharing the cell with her.<p>

"Joey?" She stretched her foot across, trying to tap him to wake him, but he didn't stir.

"He's taken quite a beating." The other said. His voice gave him away and Serenity knew exactly who it was.

"Tristan?" She called, but she knew the answer. He laughed darkly.

"He's ransoming me to my people. Making them fight for him in exchange for my safety. If they were smart, they would just kill him. I'm not nearly important enough to destroy themselves over." He said bitterly.

"He's using me against Seto in a similar fashion." She sadly looked to the side and he glanced away as well, but coughed and fell. Serenity could tell his body was failing him and looked at him worriedly. "You... He's starving you..." She observed and he tossed her a tired smile. She scooted across to him as far as she could, which still left about a foot between them. "Come close to me. You need blood." She said, remembering when he had offered himself to her.

"Are... you sure?" He paused and waited for her to nod before trying. He was able to close the distance and readied himself for the feeding. She smelled earthy and wonderful, better than he remembered. His teeth sank into her shoulder and she cried out. It wasn't pain she was feeling, but the hunger overtook him, and he couldn't focus on anything else anymore.

"Tri- Tristan, that's... That's enough... I... Tristan!" He threw himself from her, ripping his teeth out and slamming himself against the wall he was shackled to. Blood dribbled down his chin and he was breathing heavily. He absently licked his lips and tried to regain control. Serenity moved back under her chains and sat, glancing down at the shoulder he had fed from.

"I do hope someone hurries to free us... If there is anyone left." Tristan said slowly.

"No. Seto cant sacrifice his people for me. I know it and he knows it. He will come. He will kill the king. Even if it means my death. I know it. So there's only one thing to do."

"... Wait for our death..." Serenity's eyes glared at him.

"No. Escape." He glanced up at her incredulously, but she had already started looking around for something to aid her.

"There are no keys, and no weak spots. The chains wont budge, and cage around is steel. I cant break out, and I'm positive you cant either." He said, gauging her strength. She paused and smiled.

"You've never seen a Nymph in action have you?" She said smirking. He shook his head. It was true, he hadn't but he was curious to see what she could do.

"Ugh..." Joey moaned, finally stirring.

"Joey!" His sister's voice roused his consciousness and he snapped awake.

"Ren! What the hell is this? Where are we?" He asked, looking around wildly. The adrenaline had started the second he realized he wasn't home.

"Duke... Duke betrayed us. He kidnapped us and he's using us against our people." She said sadly. She watched as Joey's rage built. "He's threatening to kill us if our people try to save us or try to fight him." She informed him.

"Well, we gotta get out then, don't we?" He began yanking on the chains that restrained him, but Tristan shook his head.

"It's no use. I've tried for a week now." He said, but Joey didn't slow.

"Joey, you're going to hur-" A loud crack sounded as the stone the chains were attached to split. From the crack came a small sprout. The thing grew by itself into the stone and began to tear it in two.

"It just takes some skill." Joey said smirking.

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**Alright, chapter 30. Hope you guys still like it!**

**R+R+E~L**


	31. The Final Ally

Chapter 31: The Final Ally

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"Sire, are you sure?" Ryou asked worriedly while following Seto through the halls. "You haven't healed entirely and... what about Serenity?" Seto paused.

"She... You know what I have to do. The people, my people... They are worth more... than a single life..." Ryou could tell the words destroyed him, but respected him as a king looking out for the greater good of his people. " I will kill him. Both him and the king." He said, marching out to find the rest of his men. They had taken the king's capitol. He only had the armies he brought with him to the south. Seto was sure Duke had warned him, and that he was staying safe in the Elven lands.

Before he made it to his men, he was stopped by a few of the leaders of the wolves.

"Demon lord." They bowed, greeting him.

"Damien." The wolf who spoke looked up, shocked that his name was remembered. "How can I assist you?"

"My lord, forgive me, but you're not planning to attack the Elves, are you?" The wolf, Damien, asked. Seto looked him over and sighed.

"You obviously understand the weight held over you by the kidnapping of one of your fellow leaders, but you must also understand that this war will only be lost if we wait and do nothing. Would the leader you miss so much wish his people to suffer and die while waiting to save him? We need to move. We need to fight. Remember. Your people are not the only one's to suffer loss." Seto spoke passionate words of a dark nature, touching the wolf leaders.

"Then in his stead, until the battle, the war, is over, we will follow you." Seto looked them over and watched them bow. He never thought he'd see the day that the wolves bowed to him.

"Then we march. To the south." Seto started again for his men, and the wolf leaders did the same.

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><p>"Keep moving!" Tristan called back. Serenity held her brother up, trying to make moving easier for him. He still hadn't recovered fully, but they couldn't wait.<p>

"We're trying!" She called out as Joey collapsed again. As she knelt to lift him again, an arrow whizzed by her head. Tristan stopped dead in his tracks and turned on the spot. Elves moved deftly through the forest, shooting only while others moved forward, making it difficult to stop or retaliate. Tristan ran back and helped Serenity grab Joey, then they moved on. Arrows flew through the air, barely missing them until finally one nicked Tristan's leg. He fell immediately, taking Joey and Serenity down with him. She heard him curse and watched him struggle to his feet, but the Elves had them surrounded.

"What's going on here?" A familiar voice called. A strong tanned woman neared the elven circle, peering in to see Serenity, Joey, and Tristan in the center. Beyond her they could see her pack, lingering in the woods.

"This is none of your concern dog." One of the Elves cried out.

"Duke's turned on the demons. He kidnapped Tristan and made the Dhampires attack you! Duke's the enemy." Serenity screamed.

"That's it." An Elf pointed his bow at her and let the arrow fly.

"No, Ren!" Joey struggled desperately to get to his feet, but couldn't find the strength, and it was too late anyways.

"You know..." Tristan sputtered above her. "We could have been great together." Serenity looked up at him as he turned to the side and coughed up more blood. He fell to his knees slowly and she fell with him, holding him as he weakened. She pulled open the neck of her dress again as she had done before and presented hersElf. "I'm afraid it's too late for that." He said, chuckling. The strain of talking and laughing caused him to choke more and he fell limply against her.

"Tristan..." Serenity sobbed. There was so much death. So much destruction, hatred, and chaos. It had to be stopped. All of this had to be stopped. She couldn't take this anymore. These battles, this war. She had only wanted to free her people of the death they were threatened with, but it's turned into so much more. The king wants to rule all, and the Elves want to 'purify' the land. All excuses to kill and destroy. She was done with it. She was done with it all.

"You really are... Beautiful..." She watched as he reached a hand up to stroke her cheek, but the thing only made it to a few inches away, then fell limp. Serenity shook as she rose, laying him gently at her feet. Once fully risen, she turned her eyes on her attackers. Soon the ground trembled as her arms did. Spiked thorns speared up from the ground, destroying the Elves that surrounded them.

Ishizu stepped back, unsure of how to proceed, but Serenity turned to look at her. Never had a living being ever scared her the way this Nymph did. Her eyes were filled with strength, determination and power, but also, sadness, regret and... fear.

"Your war with the Dhampires is not an issue anymore. The Elves wish to see both of your peoples killed. You must put aside what differences you have and face a more eminent threat." She said authoritatively. How different she was now that she was standing in the wreckage of battle. She would make a strong queen to the demon people. Someone Ishizu could easily call her ally.

"I agree." The she-wolf took a step towards the fallen Dhampire lord. She placed a hand on his broken form, and pulled the arrow from his back. "His people will want to bury him proper." She said, looking around. "It's best that we take him to them now, to stop the control Duke has over them." Serenity nodded and helped her brother up. They headed southwest, escorted by the wolves and their leader. But even with all the ears and eyes watching out for them, they never noticed their followers.

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><p>The three days it took to march to the Elven gates left plenty of time for any informant to warn the Elves of their approach. Seto hoped he would take them unaware, but he knew the odds were against him. He could only pray they ended her quickly and painlessly.<p>

As they approached the castle walls, the sigh before them made Seto's blood run cold. His breathing stopped and he froze in place as his rage rose. In plain view for the world to see, two bodies dangled from the parapet, their forms bloodied and broken. The male was blonde and the female a redhead, but he could only barely tell with all the blood hardened in their hair. His heart turned icy as another piece of him died inside.

"CHARGE!" He cried out and the wolves, Demons and Fey moved quickly to the walls of the Elven nation. The earth Demons quickly assembled ramps, tearing and destroying the earth beneath the castle walls, and making the walls themselves no contest while the Fey blasted overhead, raining fire down over the archers posed at the wall and directly attacking the keep.

The Elves readied fire on their arrows, trying desperately to weaken the oncoming creatures, but the water Demons controlled the moat's waters and removed the flames, spilling the oil from their basins and diluting it until it was unusable. The wolves climbed the ramps of earth to raid the walls and clear them of the dangers of the Elves. Immediately the shadow Demons teleported into the walls, getting their first glimpse of the chaos of the civilians panic. Seto didn't wait around to watch, he headed directly for the keep.

They met little resistance along the way, but found the keep securely closed off. Seto's eyes wandered until he found a window towards the top of the keep. He signaled for his group to follow and they shadow melded into the room. Seto, being the first to appear, tore through one of the Elves inside, while his men took care of the other. He moved through the keep, destroying everything in his path as he navigated to the throne room. Once inside, Duke turned to greet him. He casually cast off his cloak and smirked.

"Well, I figured you wouldn't attack with your precious Serenity on the line. I misjudged you. I know this fight will prove interest-" He was never able to finish that sentence. Seto's fist punctured his throat as he attempted to issue his challenge, but Seto had no time for the formalities of battle. His rage would not allow it.

"Raze them all. Leave no one standing." He ordered and his Demons moved out. He knew the battle wasn't over. They still had the king to deal with. But first... he had a matter to attend to. He pulled one of his Demons aside. "Get the mage boy." he instructed. A few moments later the boy from the mages academy was brought to him.

"Y-Yes, sir?" Seto didn't care to correct his honorific, but merely nodded to the boy.

"I need you to make it so my voice is loud enough to be heard over the castle." The boy nodded and Seto lifted the corpse of the Elven king. He led the boy to the very top of the keep and towered over the battlefield. He looked to the mage and, upon getting a nod and hearing the spell being cast, moved to where he was most visible.

"People of Djassara." He announced, "Your king is dead. I have no love for your people, and care not for peace or your well being. I offer forgiveness for only one being. Whoever gives me the location and numbers of the Human king, I will spare. The rest of you will die today." He finished by tossing the elven king's lifeless body over the keep and straight into the court below. He marched back into the throne room and sat atop the king's chair, waiting for the only Elf to be spared.

Before long Demons poured into the room and stood beside their king, guarding him and awaiting further instructions. The battle outside had calmed and new sounds began to emerge. Elves poured at his doors, banging and begging for an audience. His men weeded through the Elves who begged for mercy on the grounds that they were simple civilians, uninvolved with the battle and war. They finally found one worth hearing and brought him forward.

"Sire! I know where the king is!" He cried. "To the south. To the south, just before the Dhampire lands. They have over nine thousand. They stay in the old caverns of the Neccleans."

"Neccleans? I thought they were a myth." Seto said, pondering the ancient race.

"N-No, my lord. They exist... though I'm not sure for how long. The king's men are clearing their caverns for a place to stay. They haven't been alerted to you yet. I can take you there!" The Elf shouted. Seto leaned forward, looking over the man.

"You will. If you're lying, you die slowly." He said angrily. "Kill the rest of them. Take this one. We move immed-"

"Sire!" A Demon ran into the court. Seto glared him down for interrupting him, but allowed him to speak. "The bodies on the wall, they were Elves." Everyone turned to their king who stood, struck by his words. "It wasn't the Lady Serenity or the Leader, Joey." Seto glanced down at the Elf.

"What do you know of this?" He asked, and the room went dead silent for fear of their king's next move.

"They... they escaped... a few days ago. Lord Duke found a few Elves that resembled them, and had them beaten and strung up for you to see. He was hoping it would lower your moral." The Elf informed. Seto took three long strides over to the man and lifted him with a single hand.

"And when were you planning to inform me?" He demanded, with a mixture of feelings too overwhelming to explain.

"S-Sire? I told you as soon as I could have... Please..."

"Where are they?"

"We... We don't know. We think the wolves have them." Seto dropped the man. The wolves. They were on the way, and he would most definitely be making the stop.

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><p>Ishizu halted. The woods around her seemed wrong. Serenity and Joey paused as well, still holding Tristan's body. She turned back, facing behind them and scanned the forest.<p>

"Who's there?" She called out. A few wolves began surveying the area more thoroughly. "Show yourselves!" She demanded.

"You work with the Elves and Dhampires." A voice cried out to her.

"Not the Elves. We are freeing the Dhampires." She corrected. "Are you friend or foe?" She said, wanting to get to the bottom of it. Before their eyes, a woman moved from the shadows of the trees. She stood tall and beautiful, but something was different. She had ears and a tail of a wolf and her fingers were elongated and pointed into sharp claws. When she spoke they could see fangs as long as a vampires.

"That depends on your intentions." She said as more poured from the forest. They came in all sizes. Some tall and strong, some lean and pretty, and others tiny and childlike. They were surrounded. Ishizu took a sharp breath and looked disbelievingly at the woman.

"You... You are Necclean." The woman nodded, unfazed by her surprise. "Our intentions... Our intentions are to end the war. We want the fighting to stop. We want the Elves to fail and the Humans to leave."

"The humans..." The Necclean girl spat. They could hear growls and grunts from all around them. "Yes, the humans must leave or perish. But their numbers are large, and their will strong. How will you do this? There aren't enough wolves or Dhampires to destroy them all." She said looking over the four- three of them.

"The Demons are coming." Serenity said confidently. "They will destroy them."

"Demons? We haven't seen the Demons in over a thousand years."

"Well they're coming. And I'm pretty sure they're gonna wipe out the Elves." Joey said with a wolfish grin. "After what they did to you, Ren." Serenity nodded. The Necclean looked between the two of them curiously.

"What would a Demon be doing with a Nymph?"

"Yeah, what exactly is he doing with you, sis?" Serenity's face turned a bright shade of red.

"That's not important right now. We need to free the Dhampires. The Demons will appreciate the aid in the battle against the Elves and the Humans." She said, trying to change the subject as soon as possible.

"If it is battle you want with the humans, we know where they are. We will aid you if you wish. It is our home they've invaded, and we want it back."

"Then we'd better get a move on. The Dhampires will be rearing for revenge." Joey led on, limping as he did and the Neccleans followed, now in full view. The war's end was close. They could feel it. All that was left was the actual battle, and they prayed they would win.

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**So close to the end. Keep reading. Love you all.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	32. Peace at Last

**For purpose of Copyright, Neccleans belong to my friend Steph. Their history and race belong completely to her. I am borrowing them for the story with her permission.**

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Chapter 32: Peace at Last

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"The entrances are in these twelve locations." The Necclean leader pointed out. "When I left, the humans only found these four. So we have a good chance to sneak in through these others. It's been a while so they may have found more, but I am confident that they wont be able to find these two here." She made note of the specific entrances on the map and Ishizu passed it about to her most trusted alphas.

"When are the Dhampires going to show?" Serenity asked. They had only been able to send for them the day before, but she couldn't help but want Tristan cared for as soon as possible.

"They should be here within hours. I understand that he was special to you, but there is only so much we can do about the hold the Elves have on the Dhampires while they believe their king is on the line." Ishizu said, putting a hand on the Nymph's shoulder.

"My Lady, The Dhampires are here." One wolf said from outside of the tent they had occupied. Serenity looked up at her and she nodded, leading her out.

"What is it wolf? You know we risk death if the Elves find me gone." The Dhampire spat. Serenity moved around Ishizu to face him herself.

"You no longer need to fear the Elves or the wolves. The wolves are on your side. They want to destroy the Elves." She informed him, but he scoffed at her.

"We can do nothing about the Elves so long as they have our lord." He sneered. Serenity paused for a moment, her sadness showing.

"They no longer have him." She said quietly. The Dhampire's stance changed as shock took over. "They've... already killed him." He took in a breath sharply.

"You lie! You only want us to believe he is dead so we join you!" He accused, but she shook her head.

"No... we have him. He tried to escape with us. To get back to you. The Elves followed us and... He gave his life protecting me. The arrow that struck him was meant for me. I couldn't leave him in the forest. I took him. I wanted to bring him back to his people." The memories pained her as she relived the experience in her mind, but they had to be said.

"Where... Where is he?" Ishizu led them to a small tent built specially for him. Inside he laid under a sheet, waiting for those that would come and pay their respects. "M-My lord..." The Dhampire fell before him, lifting the sheet and looking over him. "I'll take him the rest of the way. We must send him properly." He said, glancing back at the women.

"I wish to be there." Serenity insisted. He looked her up and down and nodded. "Also... We aim to end this war, and your help will make it quicker. We don't want any more fighting."

"We... We will have a vote. Our people are weak, used and broken. I know we will want revenge, but I don't know if we are able to do more." Serenity nodded. Ishizu remained behind with Joey while Serenity traveled back to the Dhampire's domain. Night fell as they moved and morning was only a few hours away as they finally reached the fallen peoples. She stayed with Tristan's body as the Dhampires were informed of the Elves treachery. In small groups, they all visited their king, nodding to the Nymph who sat by his side. As the Dhampires were called to vote, Serenity rose to meet with them.

"I'm afraid, this is a decision the Dhampires must make on their own. Of only their own influence." One said, stopping her. She disagreed, but remained silent. They were hurt and angered and she didn't wish to cause any more pain than they had already felt. The voting went on for an eternity as she stayed and waited. Finally the Dhampires broke away and started moving with a purpose. Serenity rose as one neared her and she looked at him expectantly.

"We need to send our king. It is almost time."

"What of the vote?" The Dhampire shook his head.

"All will be clear after he is sent." The Dhampire lifted the king and took him to a clearing in the forest that had a large stone table in the center. They removed the sheet and Serenity looked to the sky. The dark blue of the night was fading into a lighter powder blue with an orange tinge. The sun was about to rise.

* * *

><p>"Where are they?" Seto demanded as he fell out of his shadow meld. His armies continued to the Necclean caves, while he took the detour to the wolves.<p>

"I presume you mean the Nymphs?" Ishizu said, smirking. Seto didn't have time for this. His armies still had two days before they reached the humans and he couldn't keep them. Ishizu turned, nodding behind her as Joey exited his tent. Just the sight of the wolf gave Seto immediate relief. A smile graced Joey's face as he approached the Demon Lord. He reached out, taking the Demon lords hand and pulling him into a warm greeting. Seto's shock and relief were soon controlled as he looked down at the man he thought was dead.

"Where is your sister? Where's Serenity?" He asked, trying not to sound as desperate as he was. Joey turned away as Ishizu stepped up.

"She's with the Dhampires, burying their king."

"She's alive..." Seto said as a slight smile made it's way onto his face for the first time in days, but it soon faded. "Their king? You mean..." Ishizu nodded.

"He gave his life protecting her. I witnessed it. I only wish I had moved sooner." She said sadly.

"My men are moving on the humans now. We have information that they are in the old caves to the south." Seto said, trying to make sure his information was correct and using the change in focus to better control his emotions.

"The Necclean caves, yes. We were planning on striking once we have word on whether the Dhampires would join us. The Neccleans already have." Seto was surprised again. All of his information was correct. Even about the Neccleans. He spent enough time with Ishizu to formulate a plan to work with the wolves, the Neccleans, and the Dhampires, should they join. He then moved to the Dhampires to find Serenity.

By the time he reached their home, the entire town was empty. He wandered, checking homes and important buildings before hearing something off into the distance. There he saw them. All circled around a body lifted onto a table. Next to that table, he saw her. He remained in the distance, watching her move and breath as he had been afraid he'd never see her do again.

"It's going to be light soon." She observed. The Dhampire near her merely nodded as more began to fill in closer. Before long, the sun was filtering over the trees and Dhampires filled every edge of the clearing. Each one said a final goodbye to their king, but to Serenity's surprise, it wasn't the only thing they did. Each of the Dhampires sliced a thin cut into the top of their right hand and dripped a small amount of blood onto their king.

Serenity herself moved to his head, kissed him lightly on the cheek and gave her final farewell. Everyone moved back, waiting and Serenity wondered why, but said nothing. In a moment, gasps and mumbles were heard, and the crowd parted, letting the Demon lord through. Serenity looked up at him, but his focus was on the Dhampire lord. He held his right hand out and sliced it, dropping his own blood onto the body and pausing out of respect. He moved to Serenity and held her to him. Before long the ritual became clear.

The second the sun hit Tristan's body, he burst into flames. The entire Dhampire peoples raised their right hand to the sun, allowing it to scorch their flesh. Seto did the same, winching when his pure Demon blood reacted more violently than the rest. Serenity felt lost. These were rituals performed for the most respected of the hierarchy of the Dhampires and she could not participate and didn't even understand it. She looked up to Seto, and he seemed to read her mind.

"They return their king to the heavens, taken by the light of the sun. Each places a part of themselves with him, to escort him, and they burn with him, showing their pain with his death." He explained. It didn't take long for Tristan's mortal body to be reduced to ash. The Dhampire who had brought Serenity to this place turned to her and the Demon lord.

"Our people have been wronged. Even by the rules of War, we have been deceived and used. We wont stand for it. The Elves and the humans... they will perish." He said, followed by cheers from the entire peoples behind him. Seto stepped up.

"The Elves are no longer a threat." He said, and the Dhampires looked at him incredulously. "I killed their king myself. Their peoples, their home, nothing remains." He informed them. After a second to absorb the information they cheered and celebrated. "We still have the humans. Our victory against them will end this war. There will be no one left to fight. No one left to kill and destroy. We will have peace again. And even greater, we will have allies for life." The Dhampires cheered again, rearing to end the death. To end the war.

He spent another hour with them, giving them their part in the strategy, and helping them prepare for the battle ahead. He wanted to make it quick. He knew exactly how, now that he had the details of their hideout. Once finished, he moved with Serenity back to the wolves. He needed to inform them of the happenings and retrieve Joey. His presence would give the northern wolves great moral and happiness. Halfway back to the wolves Seto's shadow meld broke. Serenity looked up at him, wondering why he would stop in the forest but her view was obscured as he clung her to him.

His breathing turned unsteady and he crushed her against him. She could feel him shaking as he began to kiss her head. She hugged him back, loving the feeling of his arms around her again. Loving the sound of him and the smell of him surrounding her. He breathed in shakily and she pulled back far enough to look him in the eye. Tears spilled out as he stared at the only thing that mattered to him.

"Seto...Thank you." She said. His expression turned confused and she smiled. "You continued on. You attacked the Elves even though it meant my death." He looked away ashamedly, but her hand brought his gaze back to her. "You are a worthy king. I knew you loved me, and now I know you are able to make the right decision for your people even should something you love be on the line." He was stunned at her words. She was thanking him for sacrificing her?

"Serenity... You truly love my people... my nation..." He said, starting to realize the truth behind her words.

"Of course I do. You love your people, and I love you. How can I not care for those you love so much?" He almost couldn't believe how wonderful she was. He covered her mouth with his, enjoying the sweet taste he never thought he'd have again, made sweeter yet by the words she had just spoken. When they finally broke, he looked at her more seriously.

"We have more to do." He said, and took her, shadow melding all the way to the wolves. They were waiting for him. Joey, Ishizu and even the Necclean ruler.

"They have joined us." He announced and they exchanged happy looks. Seto glanced over to the Necclean leader and he bowed politely. "I am the Demon Lord Seto." He introduced himself.

"Sonya, of the Neccleans." She responded, tilting her head as he did.

"I need to discuss something with you." She looked at him uneasily, but heard him.

* * *

><p>"Joey!" A woman cried out as Seto, Serenity and Joey fell out of Seto's shadow meld in the center of the Demon, wolf, and Fey army. Mai rushed forward, jumping on him and giving him a huge kiss and hug. Serenity couldn't help but smile as her brother chuckled and hugged the girl to him. The wolf leaders moved forth as well, greeting him and welcoming him back to the battle.<p>

"We feared the worst." One said, but Joey tossed him a smile.

"No weak ass Elf can take me down." He said, making the leaders chuckle and nod.

"If you're all done, we're almost there." Seto said. "I need to talk to my men." He said, moving through the lines. He grabbed Serenity's hand, refusing to let her leave his side ever again, and moved to his earth Demons.

"We have a plan. I need you to constantly survey the earth for where the caverns start under us. When you find them, we stop marching. I want every edge of the caverns located and have earth Demons stationed circling them. Await further instructions once you've achieved this." He instructed. It was an hour before they found the first trace of an underground cavern. Then a few more hours to place men around it. Serenity looked up worriedly at Seto, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

Once he got the word from his men he moved to the one he put in charge of them.

"They're down there, right?" He asked, and the Demon nodded. "How many."

"At least six thousand. These tunnels run deep." He replied. "No more than eight thousand." Seto's brow furrowed. That left two thousand or so that were missing. But an army of two thousand was nothing compared to the combined efforts of the Dhampires, Wolves, Demons, Neccleans and Fey. He had what he needed to know.

"Collapse the caverns." He ordered.

"But... the Neccleans! That's their home!" Seto looked down at Serenity.

"They've given me permission. They have a new home now. One they can be proud of." He said as she stared at him for him to elaborate. "The Elven capitol." He smirked as she relaxed. The grounds began to quake as the earth Demons did as instructed. With this final assault the war was over. They just had to finish off those that made it out of the caverns. The rest of the combined armies moved out around the area, placing themselves at all entrances marked by the Neccleans.

The humans never stood a chance. Before they could celebrate though, they heard cries off in the distance.

"Sire, we're surrounded!" One Earth Demon called. "At least five thousand." He added. It didn't make sense. The numbers didn't add up... unless... He was so foolish, he was still basing his information off of Duke's first report, that the king had only entered with a force of ten thousand. Of course that lying bastard would hide his numbers from him.

"Get the Fey protected! Water Demons, flood out the rest of the caverns! Airs, carry the Fires to the front and blast them from above! Earths, keep churning the ground, let no one out!" He began ordering his men while he left the wolves to Joey and the Fey to Mokuba. They were able to act quickly, organizing faster than he thought possible, but still a few large groups of enemies had gotten in. Seto smashed through some of them, still trying to watch for his men and keep an eye on Serenity.

Joey rushed forward and ripped apart foe after foe, while Mai shot down any who tried to interfere. Rebecca stood guard, destroying anyone who came even moderately close to Mokuba, allowing him the safety he needed to scorch his enemies and lead his men. It wasn't long until the back ups arrived. Dhampires and Neccleans poured from the distant forests, caging sections of humans between the Demon armies and their own. Ishizu's wolves ran around the battle, trying to box them in entirely, and doing well on covering ground.

Now all Seto had to do was find the King. He curved his way around the battle field, pulling Serenity along with him. She was able to remove quite a few men from battle, but he needed speed and ended up finishing many of her fights for her. They fought for over a half hour, the humans dying slowly, but steadily, but there was still no sign of the king.

"Here, Here, he's getting away!" Sonya cried, rushing after him. She was stopped quickly by some of the King's royal guards, allowing him to put more distance between them as he fled. Seto rushed up to catch up with the king, pausing to help Sonya. "No, Get him. Kill him!" She cried, ushering him forward. He nodded and continued. Seto began to shadow meld, but never made it far enough. The king exited the forest, rushing into a wide open field. Shadows disappeared, forcing Seto to drop his meld and run manually again.

"Demon lord!" Seto didn't stop running but he looked above him. The human mage flew overhead, on some sort of disk.

"Can you stop him?" Seto yelled, trying to keep his breath as he continued running. He couldn't quite see the mage, but in a moment he didn't have to. The king fell, his entire body frozen and stiff. Seto jogged the rest of the distance between them and lowered himself over the paralyzed king.

"N-no..." The king managed. "I... I am immortal!... I will live... rule... forever..." He could barely say. Seto smirked.

"No, you are human. Your days are over. I will live forever." With that he brought down his fist, tearing through the king's full plate armor and destroying him once and for all. He breathed heavily as he lifted himself again. The mage boy landed his floating disk next to him and looked up at him.

"It's over. It's finally over." The boy said. Seto nodded then looked back to the forests edge. Slowly, people began to emerge from the shadows. First the wolves, then Dhampires, then the Neccleans and Fey, and finally the Demons.

The leaders moved forward, pulling ahead of the rest and turning to address their people. Seto stepped up first.

"The war... Is now over!" The thousands before him cheered and cried out, relieved and happy. Victorious.

"We have lost so much. All of us have. Friends. Families. Homes." Ishizu started.

"But we are still here. We carry with us their hopes and dreams and memories. But above that, we know we have the ability. The ability to fight, the ability to remember, and the ability to learn." Joey said, receiving his own cheers and cries as he spoke. "We've shown our strength. We've shown our determination. Our ability and our guts. We've shown the world that there is nothing justice will ignore. And more than that, we've show ourselves that we can work together to accomplish great things!" The northern wolves howled and cried out, amazed and proud.

"Not just the wolves though. The Demons. The Fey. The Dhampires and Neccleans. We've formed bonds and alliances that I hope will last for years- decades- no, centuries to come. If we stick together, we can handle anything. We've proven that today." Mokuba said, earning a burst of faerie fire high in the sky, celebrating the end of struggles.

"We may have lost our homes. Our lands and our people, but we can rebuild. We can mend and heal and create! We are strong. This, this is just the beginning." Sonya looked over the diverse formations of people before her and offered them a warm smile.

"This is just the beginning. The beginning of a new time. A new era of peace. I found I've made many allies, but even greater the reward, I've made friends. People I know I can count on. People I can trust my life with. People I would die for. And that's every one of you." Seto finished for them. The leaders couldn't agree more. Their people flooded forth, surrounding them, hugging them, cheering and thanking them. For the first time, Seto looked at his people, and knew he was completely loved.

* * *

><p>"Seto, you realize, that's not very... party appropriate." Mokuba kicked his feet out from under him. The now eighteen year old looking boy wore his usual while overcoat and slacks with his pressed light blue undershirt. Seto frowned.<p>

"You know I hate those clothes." He said, glancing down at his padded leather jacket.

"All the leaders of the alliance are coming... I don't understand why I have to yell at you every year about this. It's be three years of the same thing over and over again." He said frustratedly.

"Yes, I know, I don't understand why you continue to yell at me about it. Seeing as my feelings have never changed and wont" He retorted, deciding he wasn't going to change his clothes. A knock on the door pulled Mokuba's attention away from his brother.

Seto smiled as Serenity's head poked in. She smiled in turn, but it soon faded into a frown.

"You're wearing that?" She asked looking him over.

"Thank you!" Mokuba exclaimed. He began to say something else before Rebecca popped in behind Serenity. He immediately went to her side and rubbed her bulging stomach. "What are you doing on your feet? I thought we decided you'd take it easy until the party." He said softly. She wrinkled her brow at him.

"I'm bored." She said turning towards Serenity and Seto.

"I cant believe my little brother is going to have a kid before me." He glanced over them warmly.

"You're the one who took so long. I wasn't gonna wait forever." Mokuba laughed, kissing Rebecca on the cheek. Seto leaned into Serenity, pulling her against him.

"It was worth it." He said, kissing her ear and making her blush.

"Come on. We've gotta greet the guests." Mokuba said, moving through the doorway and leading the rest of them to the courtyard. Seto emerged from his keep on a balcony, high above the large group of his people and the guests of his festival.

"Welcome, peoples of all nations, allies, and friends, to the third anniversary of our victory over war and death. I am as proud today as I was three years ago, to be standing and celebrating our friendship and lives together. May it last forever more!" He finished, raising a glass in toast. After the collective cheer faded, he could see Sonya chatting and moving amongst the crowd. Joey and Mai chatted with the new human king, Yugi and queen, Tea, while the New Dhampire Lord, Shadi made small talk with Ishizu. His kingdom and all the surrounding ones were finally at peace, and he looked forward to enjoying that peace with his new queen, Serenity.

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**All done! I'm so happy to have had all of you come along with me on the adventure. I'm almost sad it's coming to an end. I really enjoyed writing this, and even more, hearing from you all. **

**Also, I've decided to do away with my bad habit of making the final chapter too short, so instead of stopping where I usually would have, and posting this as two chapters, the last being psycho short, I've decided to just give you the whole thing. Don't forget to review the final chappie and let me know what you thought of the story!  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


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